Bioshock: The Big Brother
by Life of the Planet
Summary: Why do only the Big Sister get to be deadly, agile assassins? The Big Daddies are just lumbering palookas, after all.  Why can't there be...a Big Brother?  Rated for graphic violence and some language.
1. The New Recruit

_OK, so I got this idea from the Big Sister. I thought, "Why do only the Big Sisters get to be agile, deadly assassins?" Anyway, this is my first Bioshock fanfic, and I've never played Bioshock 2, so please, critique lightly if I get some things wrong. Oh yeah, I do NOT own THE IDEA of Bioshock or Bioshock 2 (only the first game; gonna try to get the second one soon)._

Prologue: The New Recruit

The two Thuggish Splicers dragged the unconscious young man through the halls of Fontaine Futuristics. The man looked to be around the ages of 18-20, still a handsome-looking young man, clean-shaven and short dark hair combed back. H was dressed in a black combat suit with matching boots and a utility belt, along with black leather gloves. The silenced pistol found on him had been confiscated along with his grappling gun and combat knife. The two hulking brutes dragging him by the arms unceremoniously threw him into a darkened room, where they chained him to an uncomfortable metal chair, above which hung a menacing fluorescent light bulb. After the Splicers had left, the man began to awake, his nose and lip dripping blood from where he had been struck by the Splicers' pipe and crowbar. He also had a black eye and a large scar running down the left side of his face. A voice called out to him from one of the darkened corners of the room.

"Are you like the other insignificant creatures that I have to deal with? Will you play the denial game and force us to torture you, or will you play nicely?"

The man grinned a crooked smile. "You already know why I'm here, Dr. Lamb. Your goons found the weapons on me. You're the one playing games."

A woman stepped out from the darkened corner. Her blond hair and eyeglasses, along with her pursed lips, made her out to be a no-nonsense woman. "So, you came to murder me. However, how far did you expect to get with an unloaded pistol? Were you expecting to simply slash your way through with that toy knife of yours?"

The man grinned again. "Surely you don't underestimate all your enemies like this, Doctor? I deliberately brought the pistol unloaded. I've come to offer my services."

"You could have just sent in your resume" replied Sofia Lamb humorlessly.

"Oh, I'm not talking about working here at Fontaine Futuristics as one of your 'Healthcare' masks" replied the man. "I know what you're really up to here, and I want in."

Sofia Lamb paused for a moment before answering. "If you want to join the club, we have just the job for someone with your idiocy. Do you honestly think that you can simply stroll right in and demand a job here with us?" She turned around, her back facing the prisoner. "Take him to the Initiation Room."

"I don't want to be a Big Daddy."

Sofia smirked. _No one_ ever wanted to be a Big Daddy. That's why they were always so short on 'volunteers'. However, the man's tone of voice bothered her. Usually, people were taken away kicking and screaming, "No, please! I don't want to be a Big Daddy!" This man…he sounded so calm…as if he had something else in mind. This is what made Sofia turn around to face the man again, a look of curiosity on her face.

"Do you have something else in mind? For you see, we simply can't allow you to live as you are now."

The man grinned, his teeth shining crimson red with his blood dripping off them. "It's not just the Big Daddies I know about. I also know about your _other_ project."

Sofia froze. How was it possible? _No one _was supposed to know about the Big Sisters! It was highly classified information! Could this man be bluffing? His face told her he wasn't. "What's your point?" she asked.

"Why do only the Big Sisters get to be agile and deadly?" asked the man. "The Big Daddies are nothing but lumbering palookas in diving suits. But the Big Sisters…they are perfection! Big Daddies are just tanks….Big Sisters are assassins! Why can there not be a male version of the Big Sister? You don't know a thing about me, Doctor. With my vision and your resources, we can make splicing with plasmids look like elementary school kids eating paste!"

Sofia stared. Surely, this man was out of his mind…or was he? Now, she was intrigued. "Tell me…who are you?"

The man replied, "My name is Jason. Jason Smith. I've been doing my homework on Fontaine Futuristics for some time now, Doctor. Let me tell you about my latest idea…

Bioshock: The Big Brother


	2. Author's Note: Big Brother Drawing

Sorry, no new chapter yet, guys, but if you look on my profile, you'll find a link to my drawing of the Big Brother on deviantart. I hope the link works. If it doesn't, my name on deviantart is Pinturo. It's in my gallery. It's just a rough hand drawing, but I hope you like it. I promise I'll try to get a new chapter up as soon as I can.


	3. Author's Note: Finally!

_Hey, to those of you who are reading this. Sorry it took so long, but I guess I didn't really have any kind of plot planned out when I first wrote this. Seriously, no idea at all. All I had was, "Hey, male version of Big Sister! Big Brother. Plot? What's that?" So, yeah, that's why it took so long. But anyway, now I do have a plot in mind, and of course since it's been so long (sorry!) I've had time to get Bioshock 2and play it (by the way, I love it!) _

Normal = talking aloud

_Italics = thinking...normally_

_Italics also = flashbacks_

_I will be putting in little flashback snippets here and there. Think of it like Jack's little flashes in the first game, except they will be more like flashback scenes of Omega (first and only Big Brother ever made, main character) to fill in gaps. What gaps? Well, I decided to have the story go somewhat like Bioshock 2, except this story is 5 years after prologue. In case this is confusing, I'll give enough explanation without spoiling anything. This will basically be sort of a side-story/alternate story during events of Bioshock 2. Eleanor is in this story, so I figured that she looks somewhat like an adult in Bioshock 2 (18-20?) If Bioshock 2 takes place 10 years after opening scene (how old is Eleanor there? 8-10?), then she would have been around 15 or so in flashbacks that will be shown. Phew! Now that that long and pointless explanation is out of the way, ladies and gentlement...THE BIG BROTHER!_

_...on the next page._


	4. Chapter 1: Awakening

Chapter 1: Rebirth

_5 years later..._

Omega groaned and sat up, clutching his head but finding his progress halted by the round metal helmet encasing his head. He blinked a few times inside the helmet before looking around, trying to make sense of things.

_"Where am I? What...Eleanor! Where's Eleanor!"_

Omega frantically looked around, finding only darkness. He activated his built-in head-lamp using his mind, the porthole in his helmet glowing an eerie ultra-violet shade, bathing the darkened room in a light of the same color. The first thing Omega noticed was that he was about waist-deep in water. In front of him was a single staircase. He climbed up it, legs still shaky from his long rest. At the top, he saw that he was now on a catwalk of some kind. To his right, there was a semi-open area with a few different exits. He took the one labeled, "Main Hall" and came upon a large, open area. To his left, a set of doors led to the "Little Wonders Educational Facility". Omega shook his head, trying to clear it, before coming up with a name.

"Point Prometheus".

Omega examined his suit, checking for weapons. Somehow, he had been stripped of all his equipment except for the needle he used to gather ADAM from corpses. Omega sighed.

_"Great...looks like I'm starting from scratch."_

Omega's first move was to make for the Bathysphere Port. However, after jumping over the railing and landing on the floor, he heard a familiar metal clanging. He immediately looked up to see a Spide Splicer on the ceiling right above him. As the Splicer dropped, the deformed man yelled, "You call the cops on me!" As the Splicer descended, meathooks first, Omega swiftly sidestepped and extended his arm, needle out, catching the Splicer by the neck. The Splicer went limp, swaying from the needle extending from his neck. Omega couldn't resist telling the corpse, "I _am_ the cops" before shaking the dead body from his needle, wiping the blood on the Splicer's clothes. Omega continued towards the Bathysphere, but once again he was stopped...this time, by a strange buzzing in his head. Then, he heard a female's voice in his ear. It was an elderly woman, and though he couldn't see her, it sounded almost as if she were whispering in his ear.

"Hello...can you hear me? ...hear me?...hello?"

Omega responded, "Yes, I can hear you! Hello?"

There was no reply; only static. Omega sighed, entering the bathysphere. He was that there was only one option available: Siren Alley. Shrugging, Omega pulled the lever, and the Bathysphere took off.

Upon arriving in Siren Alley, Omega once again heard the voice. This time, it was much more clear.

"Hello? Can you hear me? My name is Brigid Tenenbaum. You are Subject Omega, yes? Of the Big Brother series?"

Omega replied, "I don't know if you'd call it a 'series'; it was discontinued shortly after my disposal. Too much free will". Omega said this last bit with an air of contempt.

"You are looking for Eleanor Lamb, yes?"

That got Omega's attention. "How do you know Eleanor!"

"I have already gotten in contact with Subject Delta of the Alpha series of Big Daddies. He is currently in an Atlantic Express train en route to Ryan Amusements, where he will meet with Augustus Sinclair."

Hearing the name Delta brought back a degree of familiarity to Omega.

_"Who was he?" asked Jason._

_ "Subject Delta...the monster that kidnapped my daughter." replied Sofia Lamb. "I had to resort to...extreme measures to retrieve her."_

_ "He was her Big Daddy?" asked Jason._

_ "He was nothing more than a monster encased in a diving suit!" snapped Lamb. Clearly, the subject was a touchy one. Jason looked at Eleanor Lamb, sitting in the corner, her head bowed and her eyes red from shedding too many tears. Sofia's voice drew his attention back to her._

_ "You won't betray me if you were allowed to keep your freedom, will you? If I were to find that my daughter was kidnapped a second time...well, I don't know what I'd do." said Lamb, the threat evident in her tone._

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Omega.

"Your goal and his are the same" replied Tenenbaum. "Delta and Sinclair are attempting to free Eleanor from her mother's control. I would help, but I must escort the Little Sisters that Delta has already freed to the surface. This will be my last transmission. I have already referred you to Sinclair. He should be in contact soon. Good luck."

"Hey, wait a minute!" said Omega, only to find no reply. Shrugging, Omega thought, _Well, as long as it means helping Eleanor, I better go meet up with Delta and Sinclair._ Looking around, Omega headed for the other exit and alternate Bathysphere port, when he heard a familiar shriek. It was metallic and grating, and knowing what made it sent a shiver up Omega's spine. _Great, just what I need...better keep my eyes peeled._

As he continued down the alley of shops, Omega noticed that most of them were closed, and those that could have been open had heavy metal chains over the doors. Omega found this odd, as he remembered that Simon Wales was in charge of Siren Alley. It was almost as if the alley were waiting for something to happen so that it could come to life...

Shrugging off this unwelcome feeling, Omega continued onward toward the exit, only to be stopped by an avalanche of stone and woodwork directly in front of him. When the dust cleared, Omega saw that there was no possible way to clear the wreckage without some powerful explosives. He decided to look around the alley. Passing a couple of tables in front of a bar, Omega pocketed an EVE hypo and First Aid kit before entering the rundown building. Upon entering, he saw a face-not with his eyes, but with his mind. It was a young woman's face, one whom he recognized.

"Jason..." the woman spoke.

"Eleanor!" Omega called out, but the vision faded away as quickly as it had appeared.

Omega checked around the bar area, and discovered various bottles behind the bar. The only one that wasn't alcohol held something far more dangerous and useful: a Telekinesis plasmid. Omega removed the lid of the bottle, and injected himself with the needle. He clenched his teeth at the initial pain, forcing himself not to scream as the ADAM worked its way through his bloodstream. Once the pain had subsided, Omega examined his hand, now humming with an invisible and psychic force. Lowering his changed hand, Omega met the glowing gaze of a young girl.

"You're finally awake! So is Delta. Eleanor has missed the both of you. You must find her!" said the Little Sister. Suddenly, a lithe, metallic figure burst from the shadows and scooped up the Little Sister, quickly exiting the bar. Omega heard the Little Sister scream as she was carried off. Before he could follow, he saw what the creature had left behind: a pxoimity bomb, which chose to detonate now, causing an explosion that blocked the bar's exit with rubble. Omega sighed. _Great, another blockade_. _Where the hell am I gonna find some explosives around here?_ As if in answer to his mental query, a Nitro Splicer from the balcony above called out, "Repent!" before throwing down a molotov cocktail. The Splicer continued to chant, "I'll send you boils! I'll send you flies! I'll send you plagues! I'll send you pestilence!" Omega telekinetically picked up two molotvs, and used one to get rid of the wreckage blocking the door, while the other he used to bring down the Splicer from his 'pedestal'. As he fell to the floor below the balcony, the Splicer's death scream was, "And you shall know, I am the LOOOOORRD!" Omega rolled his eyes, exiting the bar after looting the Splicer's corpse. Outside, he took out one of the looted molotvs, and lifted it in front of him with Telekinesis before igniting it with the Splicer's stolen lighter. Omega then launched the projectile at the wreckage blocking the exit and proceeded forward.

Soon, he came a large area where a Splicer was crouched over a corpse. Silently extending his needle, Omega crept forward. Raising his arm, Omega stood still behind the unaware Splicer, and brought his arm down in a chopping motion, the razor-sharp needle slicing clean through the Splicer's neck, separating his head from his body. The body slumped to the ground, the neck oozing blood, while the head rolled to a stop in the pool of blood, which was growing larger by the minute.

"You heartless brute! How dare you!"

Omega turned around, finding a female splicer running toward him, wrench in hand. The splicer swung the wrench at Omega's head, causing it to bounce off of his helmet and disrupting Omega's balance momentarily. The splicer swung the wrench again, but this time, Omega dodged to the side and countered by impaling the splicer through the heart with his needle. The splicer gasped, saying, "Sunshine..." before falling limp and sliding off of the needle onto the ground beside the male splicer.

Omega stepped past the two dead splicers and turned a corner, seeing the Bathysphere Station now in view, but still a distance away. He continued down the alley, but stopped upon hearing a female's voice: "I'm glad that mother doesn't have to see me this way." The female splicer turned a corner and was met with a needle through the forehead and a kick to the abdomen, sending her flying backwards into the alley that she had emerged from. A tiny dot of blood began to form on her forehead, and a thread-like stream trickled from it.

_ I'm nothing if not accurate_, thought Omega with grim humor as he continued walking down the alley. He heard unintelligible mumbling and peered around a corner, catching sight of a splicer looking down at his pistol, possibly debating whether or not to commit suicide. Omega saved him the trouble by throwing his needle like a dart, piercing the splicer's head and pinning him to the wall of the alley. He retrieved his needle, and then searched the corpse, finding a brass tube and a roll of tape. Taking the pistol, Omega found that the brass tube was in pretty good condition and was quite durable. He attached it to the barrel of the pistol and taped it in place. Upon hearing the approach of another splicer, Omega decided it was the perfect opportunity to try out his new toy. He took aim, and as the female splicer charged at him, shrieking, "the bank sent you, didn't they!" he fired, hitting her in the head with a single, _silent_ shot. Omega grinned inside his helmet, grateful that his skills hadn't gotten rusty. He pocketed the tape roll for later and checked the pistol's capacity. There was plenty of ammo left, so Omega continued down the alley, with his needle attached to one wrist, and in the other hand he held his revolver with a makeshift silencer.

Soon, he heard that terrible shriek again, and he quickly looked around, finally coming upon the telltale red light shining from a porthole. The Big Sister leapt from the darkness of the alley at Omega, needle extended, only to have it deflected by Omega's own needle. The Big Sister swung her needle at Omega, and Omega parried, the two engaged in a duel with their needles. The Big Sister then switched tactics, igniting her hands and tossing fireballs, only to have them flung back. The Big Sister seemed to know she could not win, so after trying once more to penetrate Omega's defenses with her needle, she then turned and fled. Omega gave chase, but the Big Sister had managed to outrun him, as she had vanished.

Omega continued in the direction that the Big Sister had vanished, and he finally came upon the Bathysphere. He entered, and pulled the lever to "Adonis Luxury Resort". From there, he would make his way to the Atlantic Express.

_So, how do you like it? Or not at all? Is it good? Bad? Please review! I accept contructive criticism, but no flames!_


	5. Chapter 2: Flooded Resort

_Hey, guys; sorry about the extremely long wait, but I had a writer's block equivalent to Alan Wake's. The point is, I'm back, and I'm finishing this story, one way or another!_

Chapter 2: Flooded Resort

As the Bathysphere ascended, Omega was instantly grateful that he was wearing his helmet, due to the fact that the Bathysphere door would not open. This was because the entirety of the resort had been flooded. Omega was forced to kick down the door, flooding the Bathysphere. He carefully stepped out, and began to swim towards his objective, passing several corpses. One, he noticed, had been impaled by a semi-sharp object...repeatedly. Omega recognized the work of a Big Daddy's drill.

_Maybe Delta came through here._

Omega continued to swim through the flooded underwater building, not expecting much resistance due to the entire place being flooded. Because of this, he didn't notice his enemy until she had swooped down from above. Omega felt the pressure, and he plummeted to the ocean floor, turning onto his back and looking into the angry red gaze of a Big Sister. She stabbed down with her needle, only to hit the ocean floor. Omega threw a punch at her helmet, which left her only slightly disoriented, before slicing upward with his own needle. This resulted in a slight gouge in the Big Sister's outfit, and blood spilled out, but his enemy wasn't down for the count. The Big Sister tackled him to the ground, and they wrestled for dominance, each trying to end the other's life. The Big Sister threw Omega to the ground and her hands crackled with electricity. Omega quickly used Telekinesis and directed the electricity through the Big Sister's arms, then to her entire body. The Big Sister shrieked in fury and rage as she suffered from the electric shock that was only multiplied by her armor. At last, the metal frame fell limp, smoking from the electricity. Omega breathed a sigh of relief.

_I'm gonna need some new weapons if I wanna stay alive with those things running around._

Omega continued to swim towards the entrance to the Atlantic Express station, and it finally came into view, The door slid open, and Omega stepped into the filtering chamber, where he pulled the lever, and the chamber drained of water, allowing him to enter the Atlantic Express.

_Yeah, I know it's not the best or most action-packed chapter, but bear with me, please?_


	6. Chapter 3: Catching a Train

_Hey, readers! Here's the next chapter for The Big Brother! If some areas seem familiar to those of you who played the game, that's because Omega comes in the same way Subject Delta did, but he comes in afterward, so he'll see structural damage such as the floor that Delta fell through._

Chapter 3: Catching a Train

Upon entering the station's maintenence depot, Omega spotted a row of lockers, and decided to check for supplies. He spotted some drill fuel, which was of no use to him, and some scattered Big Daddy supplies, such as a helmet and a broken Rivet Gun. He continued through the doorway ahead (the metal door had been blasted off its hinges and was lying against the wall behind him) and ascended a flight of stairs, turning a corner up them to come to a small balcony. Ahead, he saw an open door, and the control panel next to it was sparking. Omega activated his helmet scanner, which indicated that the panel had been recently hacked to keep the door open. If a Splicer had hacked it, it would have been to hinder Omega's progress. He knew that Delta had been through this area. In the adjacent office, Omega found a shelf containing various tools, among them a Hack Tool. There was evidence indicating that one of these useful inventions had been on top of the desk, but had been taken, likely by Delta.

_I don't need to put this to use just yet thanks to Delta, but it'll probably come in handy later._

Omega stocked up on Hack Darts from the nearby tool dispenser, and proceeded onward. Turning a corner, he spotted a shadow on the wall, which then moved down the hall. Omega chased after it, coming to a large, open workshop. He heard someone cackling madly, and readied his pistol. The large train in the center had since falled from the overhanging rafters and was tilted on its side. Suddenly, a couple of Splicers charged at Omega from the darkness. One went down with a single shot to the head, with the other having its throat slit followed by two more shots to the chest. He then heard an announcement over the P.A.

"This is Doctor Sofia Lamb. Andrew Ryan is dead, but the tyrant lives on. Remember: we reject the gene; we reject the self; we reject the tyrant!"

Omega clenched his fist, knowing it was a recording, using his anger at the woman to fuel his determination to proceed onward. The large metal gate was open, and Omega soon discovered why: in the gate control office, the switch had been activated, though it was hard to tell: the entire office was black with ash, and there was little floor remaining to stand on. A large gaping hole was at the center of the office floor. Omega hoped that if Delta had fallen through, he was somehow still alive. Omega entered through the gate that Delta had opened, only to have it slam shut behind him. The security screens around the workshop he had stepped into lit up, and the face of the woman he despised more than anything else appeared on it.

"Subject Omega, the first and last of the Big Brothers. I don't know how you survived, but..."

"What do you want, bitch!" demanded Omega.

"My, my...what a temper you have there. I wonder if it's not that temper that got you into trouble in the first place?" taunted Sofia Lamb.

"Perhaps it's your compulsive need to be in control of everything, Lamb!" shouted Omega. He decided to taunt her right back. "If that's why you decided to have Delta flung down a ten-story hole, that's pretty pathetic. Ironic, isn't it, that it's really _you,_ Sofia Lamb, who needs a psychologist more than anyone else here?"

Before Lamb could reply, Omega shot the screens, shorting them out and ending the transmission. Continung on, Omega soon heard an alarm, several shouts, and a gun being fired. He kicked down the door of the room they were coming from. The office inside was filled with security bots and splicers going at it as the camera shined a green light on the splicers.

_Looks like Delta was here, too._

Deciding to take it easy for once and simply enjoy the show, Omega stayed back to watch the security bots pump the splicers full of lead. Once they were all dead, Omega stepped through. The camera registered his presence but the alarm didn't go off, indicating his status as an ally.

As he stepped into a Jet-Postal Substation, he suddenly felt...lightheaded. Then, a vision appeared before him, in his mind. He saw another face, a beautiful face, and a young woman spoke to him.

"Jason. It's me, Eleanor. You saw what happened to Father, but don't worry; he survived. Mother won't be able to defeat either of you so easily. I know the both of you are coming to find me. Don't give up; Father has already taken the Telekinesis Plasmid I left for him here. I've left you something, as well. It should help you on your way. Please, come find me..."

Omega was transfixed, unable to move or speak, until the vision faded away, and he regained his senses. He blinked several times, then saw a vial of blood-red liquid lying on a desk. Injecting the needle into his arm (the pain was more bearable this time), Omega's hand suddenly felt...warm. He grinned, realizing which plasmid this was, and silently thanked Eleanor.

Omega exited the small room and ascended a flight of stairs. He came upon a balcony with a flight of stairs leading down to a large station. Several corpses were on the ground and there were signs of a fight, but there were still a few Splicers, gathered around a bonfire. In their madness, the Splicers failed to notice (or simply didn't care) the numerous propane tanks off to the side. Omega could have used Telekinesis to toss them at the Splicers, but that would have given away his location too quickly. Instead, he snapped his fingers, setting the tanks on fire.

"Three...two...one..." Omega counted down, until he heard the explosion and screams of agony he had been waiting for. He looked down to see the charred corpses of the Splicers and the blown-open propane tanks.

As he passed through the large, open gate, his helmet-radio buzzed.

"I know what you want, Jason." said Sofia Lamb. "You desire my daughter for your own perverse needs."

Omega's fist tighetened. "You really have me all figured out, don't you?" he asked sarcastically.

"As I told Delta, neither of you have any place in Paradise, or in Eleanor's destiny."

The radio buzzed again, ending the connection.

Omega continued on to a large, round room. It was filled with junk, and a mass of rubble, inculding a broken-down train, filled the center of the room. A battle had taken place here as well, as evidenced by the scattered corpses of fallen Splicers and blown-open propane tanks. Omega took the elevator up to the top floor, and exited. He passed by an office and entered through the door ahead. After proceeding through a long hallway, he finally reached the station. Before anything else could go wrong, Omega quickly boarded the train and set it to "Pauper's Drop".

_Yes, I know Delta went to Ryan Amusements first, but remember that he's ahead of Omega._


	7. Chapter 4: The Long Drop

Chapter 4: The Long Drop

Omega knew he was in the right place when he was forced to stop his train car because there was another one stopped in front of it. As he stepped out of the train car, he heard an announcement over the P.A.

"Attention! This is Sofia Lamb. Both Subjects Delta and Omega are trapped in Pauper's Drop. All railway travel is suspended until they are found."

_She's really going all-out. A city-wide lockdown. Well, at least I can meet up with Delta._

Omega did his usual routine search of the station, not picking up anything of too much interest. He then exited the station, passing some religious iconogaphy of the Rapture Family, and entered Pauper's Drop.

The first area, he saw, wa sa sort of square or plaza. The most obvious structure was the Fishbowl Diner. The plaza was silent; the only sound was the pitter-patter of rain (or at least, it would have been if Rapture were on the surface), which was a result of the glass ceiling being cracked, causing water from the ocean to leak in.

Omega decided to check out the diner first. Crouching down on all fours, he braced himself, then performed an ADAM-fueled leap onto the roof. He cut through a portion of the roof with his needle, and dropped through. Looking around, he saw that the diner was deserted, as well. He did find a single-barrelled shotgun in the back storeroom, however, and pulling out his roll of tape, he set to work. Using a spare brass tube he found on a corpse, Omega took a moment to examine his new invention. Though it didn't have any crosshairs, it could still function as a sniper rifle. Omega leapt back onto the roof, and spotted a Splicer patrolling below. Taking aim, Omega found that by looking through the brass tube scope, even with the absence of crosshairs, he could still focus slightly better for the task he was about to perform. Aiming for the head, Omega fired. The shotgun-style sniper rifle let out a bang, and the Splicer's ear was blown off, but he was still alive...and angry.

"You tryin' ta kill me? ME!" screamed the Splicer as he started firing on Omega with his machine gun. Omega unloaded a shotgun shell, set it on fire, and then telekinetically launched it at the Splicer, who howled in agony as he burned to a crisp. Omega then looked at his new weapon, this time more critically.

_Hmm...maybe if I can somehow extend the barrel?_

Omega summoned the fallen Splicer's machine gun, examining its long, thing barrel. He started to tinker about, replacing the shotgun's wide barrel with the machine gun's thin one. He also replaced the ammunition, as shotgun shells would never be able to be fired through a thin barrel like that. When he was finished, his new weapon consisted of the shotgun's buttstock and the machine-gun's barrel. The pump had been removed, and a little more tinkering ended up with the weapon being able to fire semi-automatically. Omega tried out his new weapon on another Splicer who had stopped to loot Omega's first victim. This time, when he fired, a small hole appeared in the Splicer's head, dripping blood, before the Splicer collapsed on the ground.

He didn't have much time to commend himself, however, as his helmet-radio buzzed, and a male voice began to speak.

"Bout time y'all got here, son. Delta's already workin' on gettin' himself the data he needs to bust through the rubble blockin' my hotel."

"What are you talking about?" asked Omega, extremely confused.

"Aw, hell, where are mah manners? Augustus Sinclair, at your service. Mah old hotel, the Sinclair Deluxe, is under, uh..._Family Management_, guess ya could say. Local Governor o' the Drop is a dame named Grace Holloway. Our boy Delta tried to enter the place, but one o' them Brute Splicers blocked the entrance. Delta's out researchin' the gorillas now so he can breach. He should be somewhere 'round Skid Row by now. It's just on the other side of Downtown."

"So you're Sinclair. And what are you in this for?" asked Omega, slightly suspicious.

"Me? Ah'm just helpin' Delta-and you-ta rescue poor Eleanor. Ah'll admit, ah'm a businessman, born and bred, but not much left in Rapture that would be of use to anyone on the surface. Introducin' ADAM to the rest o' the world...I prefer to think of that as _bad business_, if ya get my drift."

"Yeah, I do. Thanks for that."

"Honestly though; I though Delta was one of a kind; but you...you're your own class altogethah. Only Big Brother ever made, am I right?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, nuff talkin' 'tween us. You head on after Delta, see whatcha can do to lend 'im a hand."

Omega followed the signs to Downtown, and saw that there had been a lot of fighting going on. He entered an underwater tunnel, and followed the crude sign painted "Skid Row".

It was apparent that the area called "Skid Row" was the market area of Pauper's Drop. Dilapidated stands were littered throughout the area, and a large, ruined building dominated the center. On the top of the building were the words, "Dr. Hollocroft's Pharmacy". Omega looked down a side alley, which led to a building called "The Limbo Room". He heard shouts and gunshots coming from inside. The ground rumbled. Suddenly, the doors of the Limbo Room burst open, shattering, as a giant, deformed body flew out, hitting the ground with a thud. Omega examined the body. It was a Brute Splicer. He looked at the shattered remains of the Limbo Room doors and cautiously stepped inside. He turned a corner, and out of nowhere a massive drill swung his way! Only at the last second did Omega block it with his needle, and readied his plasmids...only to look into the face of Subject Delta.

Delta seemed to be as shocked as Omega was, for he did not attack. Omega couldn't see behind Delta's helmet, but he guessed that Delta was likely confused. Delta let out a low, grunt-like rumble as he spoke.

"Oh...may...ga?"

"Good to finally meet up with you, Delta" answered Omega as they both lowered their weapons and exited the Limbo Room.

Both their helmet-radios buzzed, and Sinclair's voice sounded in.

"Looks like the two ah' ya have finally met up. An' it looks like Delta's finally researched that Brute Splicer. You learn any new tricks to take out that blockade at the hotel, big fella?"

Delta nodded, revving up his drill and dashing through a Splicer who was unfortunate enough to be in the area.

"Sounds good, can't wait ta..."

Sinclair's voice was cut off by a loud, high-pitched shriek. Both Delta and Omega knew it all too well. They prepared themselves, not knowing where their foe might leap from. Suddenly, the Big Sister swooped down from above, hands alight in fire!

She knocked them away from each other, Delta in one direction and Omega in another. The Big Sister directed fireballs at the both of them. Omega used Telekinesis to toss them back, as Delta took advantage of the Big Sister's distraction to perform a Drill Dash, knocking her to the ground. Omega impaled her with his needle as she was down, causing blood to spurt everywhere. The Big Sister kicked Omega away, catching him as he was in the air with Telekinesis, then throwing him against the wall. She backhanded Delta as he rushed towards her, turning her back to Omega. She decided to attempt to finish Delta off first, and raised her hands again, this time crackling with electricity. Before she could do anything more, there was a loud bang, and her helmet cracked before it lit up with bright blue electricity, which then spread to her entire body. The Big Sister, smoking, fell to the ground dead.

Omega walked over to Delta and strapped his rifle back into place over his back. He offered a hand to Delta, which the Big Daddy took.

"Good teamwork" said Omega.

Delta nodded, shaking Omega's hand.

Rushing back to the Sinclair Deluxe, the two stood before the massive building. After Delta disposed of the rubble blocking their way, they carefully stepped inside. They heard mumbling coming from above.

"Ssshhhh, shut up! Here they come!"

Omega and Delta readied themselves for the coming Splicers. Two rose from the water, another came down the stairs. Delta swung his drill at the two Thuggish Splicers as Omega engaged in a firefight with the Leadhead Splicer. Once the Splicers were dead, Sinclair spoke up again.

"Now, Gracie was on the top floor...get up there an' persuade her to give ya that override key."

After trying the elevator only to find it wouldn't work, Omega looked up and saw how tall the building was. He sighed.

"Looks like this might take a while" he said.

Delta groaned in agreement.

Omega and Delta managed to make it through everything Grace threw at them. Even a Brute Splicer who proved to be particularly difficult couldn't handle an electrically-charged hypodermic needle in the eye. The two made an unstoppable team as they continued to ascend the hotel.

Eventually, they came to a makeshift staircase in the form of a broken wooden floor that formed a ramp upward. Sinclair contacted them again.

"Gracie's room is just up ahead. Now, she's been sendin' all manner o' unkindness your way, so I'm not particular as to how you fellas take that key away from her...but she's old...an' this grudge against the two o' you was based on a misunderstandin'."

Omega looked at Delta. "How about we at least hear her out before we make any judgments?"

Delta moaned and nodded, agreeing.

Turning a corner, Omega saw it first, and quickly stopped Delta. In front of them was a Security Camera. Omega took careful aim, and shot a Hack Dart at it. The Splicer gazing at it soon found herself under attack as Security Bots hacked her to pieces in seconds with their built-in machine guns.

Delta gave Omega a thumbs up, grateful for the warning.

As they stepped out, they saw that they had reached the top floor. They proceeded to the left, coming to a door labeled "307". As they entered, Grace spoke out:

"We all die tonight, monsters: all three of us! I, because your kind has killin' in its nature, and you two because there's no way the Family will let you stroll out alive with that key!"

Grace's room resembled the other rooms they had seen on their way up with a few personal touches like a microphone and a poster for the Limbo Room. There was also a piano, an old radio, and a record player. What drew their attention, however, was the small room on the left. Painted pink, a bedsheet used as a banner hung along one of the walls. It read "Eleanor's Room", and there were flowers, a sun, and several "Keep Out"s painted on it. It had all the makings of a child's room: on the small bed sat a doll, and under the bed was a children's puzzle. On the bedside dresser was a picture of Eleanor as a child with Sofia. On the wall was a small yardstick outlined in a blue butterfly decoration. Written on the wall in crayon was "Eleanor" and "7 years", "6", and "5" at certain points. Near the bottom, "Teddy" was written, with a teddybear on the floor beneath it. Books littered the floor near the bookshelf, and next to the bookshelf was a music box with a ballet dancer inside it. There was only one thing present that set this particular room apart: on a blackboard, an immensely complicated mathematical equation had been solved by Eleanor.

"It looks like Eleanor was at least allowed to have some kind of normal childhood, even as she was being made to be her mother's slave" observed Omega.

Delta moaned in what seemed to be a tone somewhere between sadness and fondness, echoing Omega's feelings. There was an Audio Diary beneath the bed. It had been recorded by a younger Eleanor.

"I got in a fight with a dog eater today. His name is Amir, and he was picking on a smaller boy...we called a truce when his nose went red. But Mum says I'm becoming a barbarian. So I said, 'Eleanor eat dog now too...Barbarian happy!' And Mum said they only think they're happy, because they're selfish and ignorant. Hmmmph! 'Eleanor think ignorant sound like fun!'"

Omega smiled, and he was sure that Delta was thinking the same thing he was.

"We have to save her...no matter what."

They continued further into the room, which held Grace's bedroom. There was a poster of Sofia Lamb on the wall, with a tear in it. Omega spotted..._something_...behind it. He removed the poster, revealing a switch. Delta hit the switch, and they heard something wooden move. Looking to the left, they saw that the wardrobe concealed a hidden passage. On the right was a door with a porthole on it. Delta wiped the dust off of it. Inside was Grace, sitting in a chair, smoking. She noticed them looking through at her and rose from the chair, scowling.

"I know what you're here for...Go on and take it...I won't have you touching me. Doctor Lamb trusted me to take care of her child...and I tried...but Baby Eleanor disappeared."

Grace now walked up to the door, looking them in the eye. The only thing that separated her from them was the door. She looked at Delta scathingly.

"And then, one day, I see her walkin' with you...lookin' wrong...and when I tried to hold her, you knocked me down...broke my jaw."

She glared at Delta, and Delta, staring back, saw neither fear nor true hatred...but pain. He made himself look away, look down...in shame. Grace then looked at Omega

"An' then when Eleanor finally gets back to her momma, you try to take her away again! So, come on in, baby snatchers! Come on in, and finish the job!"

The door opened, and they stepped inside. Omega took the key from the desk, and they both knew that with it, there was no need to linger any longer. Delta simply turned away, silently. Omega left Grace with only a single sentence: "You shouldn't trust Sofia like you do."

With that, the pair left Grace in her secret room, alone...alone to ponder what had just happened.

As they were working their way back down, their radios came online. Grace's voice sounded.

"I know Doctor Lamb's no liar, but she got to be wrong about the both of you. It doesn't seem right...letting you two walk into the bushwhack outside. I can't call off the Family, but I can whisper a bit and improve your odds."

As if on cue, two specialized security bots flew in and began to follow Delta and Omega. They soon realized what Grace had meant by "bushwhack", as Splicers flooded into the lobby. The bots began to unload on the Splicers, and Delta and Omega charged into the fray as well. Suddenly, the flood stopped. As the two exited the hotel, they understood why: the Splicers had changed strategy. They were no longer trying to ambush en masse, but they were now setting up ambush points all along the route to the station to ambush in small groups. Unfortunately for the Splicers, no matter what they tried, nothing could stop two specialized security bots, a Big Daddy, and a Big Brother. Even the Brute Splicer that served as the "commander" of the ambush squad went down fairly easily thanks to a barrage from Delta's gatling gun and Omega's sniper rifle.

As they neared the station, Grace contacted them again.

"Well, sirs, I don't know what to call you now. You've not only just spared my life, you've opened my eyes. I need to put a few questions to Doctor Lamb."

Suddenly, the radios buzzed once more, and it was Sofia who spoke this time.

"By sparing Grace, do you seek to earn my trust?"

"Speak of the devil..." muttered Omega.

"A feeble ruse. Your crocodile tears may poison her with doubt, but I am not so easy a mark."

"No, you're just too proud and conceited to consider your own margin for error!" snapped Omega.

Delta roared in furious agreement.

When they reached the station, Delta boarded the train, and Omega slid the key into the gate controls. The gates opened, and Omega entered the train. Delta started the engine up again, and they left Pauper's Drop behind.


	8. Chapter 5: Return to Siren Alley

Chapter 5: Return to Siren Alley

The train traveled along the underwater tracks, slowly but surely. There wasn't much to do but wait. It made Omega uncomfortable, especially seeing as how exposed the small metal train car was. His fears soon became reality, as he glimpsed something speeding toward them. Delta noticed it too, roaring in alarm. Suddenly, the train lurched, and the right-side door flew open, causing the train car to be flooded, and the train's shudder sent Omega out of the train. Delta quickly reached out to help him back in, and grabbed him just in time. However, the train gave another shudder as a second torpedo hit it. Delta lost his balance, and both he and Omega were sent downward...

"Wake up, boys! You there!" Sinclair's voice roused them from their unconscious state.

"I thought you two had ridden them torpedoes into the great hereafter! I'm in Dionysus Park now. The whole place is flooded over. There's a pumpin' station in Siren Alley that should getcha here."

_Guess I'll get a more thorough look this time. Lucky me_, thought Omega.

Omega saw that they were both on the ocean floor. A short walk took them to the filtering station of Siren Alley.

"Today, you will meet Father Simon Wales, a man who has no fear of death", said Sofia Lamb. "And for Eleanor, he would burn with a smile."

"You still don't realize...or _want_ to realize, that we would, too." replied Omega, only receiving silence in reply.

Inside the filtering station, Omega drained the water, and both he and Delta entered Siren Alley.

The Alley had certainly come to life since Omega had last been here. Perhaps it was because their arrival was now expected. As they explored a bar, Omega spotted an electric-blue vial. Delta picked it up and offered it to him, and Omega spliced up with Electro Bolt. There were a few Splicers inside, as well, but nothing else noteworthy. Eventually, they came to an area of the Alley that had various religious-like iconography. They both recognized The Rapture Family's handiwork. Suddenly, a Spider Splicer leapt at them. He was dressed in black and had a hat on.

"The beasts live! Gather the Family!" he chanted, before leaping upward, out of sight.

Sinclair contacted them, and sounded as shocked as they felt.

"Mother o' mercy, I think that was Simon Wales! What's he done to himself! He an' his brother Daniel were Rapture's architects. Daniel went on to run the Pink Pearl, a hotel-turned brothel. When Lamb came along, Simon got religion. He's got a temple in the pumping station; expect a reckoning when you arrive."

When they entered the pumping station, they saw a Plasmid vial. Suddenly, the both of them had another vision of Eleanor.

"I think Mother knows I'm helping you. She's accelerating my treatments. Please, Jason...Father...don't give up on me!"

Delta picked up the Plasmid and forced it into Omega's hands. He clearly wanted Omega to have it. Omega's hand began to buzz electrically, similar to Electro Bolt. There was a Splicer in the next room. Omega launched a light blue blob at the Splicer, who became engulfed in blue photoelectric bugs. The nearby Security Camera was drawn to the Splicer almost magnetically, and Security Bots flew in to neautralize the threat. Omega looked down at his hand.

"Hold on, Eleanor..."

They entered the room, which definitely looked like a pumping station. Half the floor was flooded due to the large pipe that was still dripping water. They ascended the stairs, only to find that the door at the top was locked. There was a combination lock to the side, along with an Audio Diary.

"Sounds like we need to go pay Daniel Wales a visit" remarked Omega, after listening to the message.

As they headed back the way they came, a Brute Splicer ambushed them. He charged at them head-on, shrugging off Delta's shotgun blasts and Omega's Electro Bolts. He swung his fists, knocking them to the ground. Delta unloaded a shotgun shell in his face and he roared in agony. Omega lit him on fire before telekinetically launching a nearby crate at him. Delta then pumped the Brute full of gatling gun bullets and Omega zapped him with electricity until he finally fell.

"They're getting tougher" observed Omega. Delta nodded.

The two entered the Pink Pearl, and the first thing they saw was blood. A female corpse hung from the wall by a miniature spear. A speargun lay nearby. Delta motioned to it, patting his gatling gun. Omega grinned, getting the message. They began to ascend the old hotel-turned brothel, strongly reminded of the Sinclair Deluxe.

Eventually, they came upon a lone Little Sister. A few feet away lay a slain Rumbler Big Daddy. The Little Sister trembled, looking scared, until she saw them, and happily cried, "Daddy! Big Brother!" Delta picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. Turning a corner, they saw a vent, the kind used by the Little Sister. Their Little Sister yawned sleepily. "Hidey...hole..." she said. Delta took her down, and placed his hand on her head. There was a flash of light, and her eyes dimmed until they were normal, and her skin flushed slightly so that it was no longer deathly pale. The little girl thanked them, and climbed into the vent. Omega smiled happily. They continued upward, sometimes catching a glimpse of a man in a hat running away from them.

"Simon sent ya, didn't he!" the man cried out. "Well, here's a peace offerin'!"

Daniel Wales ran away, leaving a couple of Spider Splicers to deal with Omega and Delta. They didn't last long against the two heavily armed allies.

They eventually reached Daniel's room. They turned a corner into a hallway, where they found Daniel.

"Simon sends you, a couple of fuckin' metal handymen!" he cried, before jumping down a hole in the floor. Omega and Delta quickly followed. They landed in a dark room with no sign of Daniel. They explored the room, finally exiting it, to find Daniel out in the hallway. He opened fire on them, throwing a grenade. Omega quickly launched it back at him, and Delta zapped him with Electro Bolt. Daniel fell to the floor, which Delta then proceeded to drill him into.

Searching his corpse, they found an Audio Diary in which Daniel revealed the code they needed. Exiting the Pink Pearl, they made their way back to the locked door and input the code. The door opened...and stopped. The room shuddered and the lights went out. Then, they heard Sofia Lamb speaking.

"Simon, Daniel is dead. Can you hear him, crying out for justice?"

"Damn bitch!" swore Omega.

Then, they heard Simon Wales.

"Know this, beasts! Daniel's body may rot and turn to dust, but his soul will rest with the Child of the Lamb! You shall roast and blacken in the Pit of Hell, and it'll be a grieving brother that sends you there!"

Suddenly, the room was filled with Spider Splicers, their meathooks clanking on the metalwork above. As Delta and Omega took them down, even more descended. The mad priest chanted, "Your own sin marches to meet you, beasts! And its name is Legion!"

As Spider Splicers dropped down in front of the pair of heroes, they were met with shotgun blasts, drills, needles, and electric blasts. Wales continued to chant:

"Eleanor Lamb is our salvation, demons! You shall not rob us of our final reward!"

Even in the midst of combat, Omega managed to retort, "Eleanor is a _person_, not a thing, you crazy bastard!"

At last, the room grew quiet. It seemed like it was over...until the Brute Splicer burst in, and he was on fire. He charged at them, ready to kill. Delta shot his gatling gun, but the Brute Splicer only seemed to soak up the damage. Omega stopped him with a well placed Electro Bolt, allowing Delta to drill him, but the Brute Splicer then knocked Delta back...only to be met with a needle to the neck. The abomination fell to the ground, dead.

The lights came back on, allowing Omega and Delta breathe sighs of relief. They healed up and reloaded, making sure they were prepared, before venturing forward. They came upon another alleyway, and on the right at the end was the entrance to Simon Wales' pumping station chapel. Directly in front of them, however...was a Little Sister's Orphanage.

They decided to explore the Orphanage first before meeting Simon Wales. Immediately, they noticed a corpse pinned to the right-side wall. As they began to ascend the stairs, they heard the creepy shrieks of a Spider Splicer. In the room they entered, they managed to catch a glimpse of him before he shrieked again, running away. They heard the clanging of his meathooks. They entered a room through which the only way was forward (due to beds barricading the left and right doors) and entered a hallway. They turned the corner, and the metal gate to the right slammed shut. On the other side, the Spider Splicer cackled madly, running away. They had no choice but to take the door on the left. Inside was a bedroom for the Little Sisters. At the back of the room, they found the same measuring ruler they had seen in Eleanor's room back in Pauper's Drop. In a little red wagon, an Audio Diary detailed Eleanor's wish to escape to the surface.

"So this is where Eleanor was kept as a Little Sister" said Omega.

There was nothing left for them here, so they turned to leave...

...only to have the lights go out, after which they heard the Spider Splicer cackling. Stepping back out into the hallway, he rushed past them, too fast to shoot at. They chased after him, back the way they came. When they reached the room at the top of the stairs, he slammed the gate shut, trapping them in. He then dropped into the room to finally confront them. They were ready. He flung meathooks at them, barely scraping their armor. When he leapt at them, he landed on Delta's outstretched drill arm, spinning and ready to kill. The Splicer fell to the ground, a bloody hole in his chest.

At last, the gate opened...because of the Brute Splicer that had appeared on the other side. He roared and charged at them, knocking Delta down and Omega to the side. Delta spun his drill, impaling the Brute Splicer, before being knocked back again. Omega zapped the Brute Splicer with Electro Bolt, stopping him in his tracks, and Delta unloaded with his shotgun. The Brute Splicer charged at Delta again, only to receive a flame-fueled fist to the face.

Descending the stairs, the lobby was now dark, as well. The corpse that had hung on the wall had been replaced by a Spider Splicer. He shrieked and ran at them as Delta shot him with his gatling gun and Omega pounded him with bolts of electricity. He didn't last very long.

They stepped back out into the Alley, and turned towards the pumping station entrance. Passing through a pump room, they entered a larger room. There were two Splicers here. Perfect shots to the head took them down easily. The Spider Splicers were a bit more difficult but went down at close range with shotgun blasts and pistol shots. A final Leadhead Splicer took a shot to the head from Omega's pistol. With the fight over, they took the time to examine their surroundings. Religious iconography littered the area. "We are a Family!" was written on the wall. A Little Sister's harvesting needle lay in a glass display case. On one of the wall were two pictures. One of them was a hand that had been affected by ADAM. The other was a hand holding an EVE Hypo, preparing to inject it. An Audio Diary nearby contained a recording of Simon Wales, ranting about the Rapture Family sailing along a river of ADAM with Eleanor as their vessel.

Ascending some stairs, they came upon a balcony, where they found an office used by Sofia. Hacking the door control, they saw that one of the walls had a picture of DNA beung pulled apart by blue butterflies. The Audio Diary nearby detailed Sofia's desire to "redraft the human blueprint". With nothing left here, they exited through the door, continuing down a hallway, and explored a room to the left. A "Power to the People" machine allowed Omega to upgrade his Spear Gun with a scope. He then tossed away his makeshift sniper rifle in faver of the more potent weapon. An Audio Diary in a filing cabinet only further proved that Sofia Lamb had taken advantage of Grace Holloway's desire for a family.

They both looked at the door in front of them. Omega looked at Delta.

"Wales is just up ahead. You ready?"

Delta nodded and readied his gatling gun.

They stepped through the door into a chapel-like area. They saw an enormous shadow on the wall. Simon Wales sent Spider Splicers after them. Using the Spider Splicer's leaps to their advantage, Delta and Omega countered with melee attacks. They were shot at from below. They took out the Leadhead Splicers with Rivets and Spears. A Brute Splicer entered the fray. He was lit on fire, zapped, and shot with Delta's shotgun. The final Leadhead Splicer took a spear to the head. Finally, Simon Wales entered the fight. He leapt to a pipe, then onto the balcony. He himself was a Spider Splicer, but he also had a Security Bot as backup. As he leapt at them, Delta fired his shotgun, but Wales shrugged it off, so Delta switched to antipersonnel rounds from his gatling gun and tore into Wales, only for the mad preacher to soak them up like a sponge. More members of his congregation joined in, firing machine guns. Omega took care of them as Delta fought with Wales. Delta used a Drill Dash, knocking Wales down, but he got back up quickly, only to receive a roundhouse kick from Omega, knocking him off the balcony. Delta leapt down after him, drill first, pinning him to the floor. Spinning the drill, Delta literally ground Simon Wales into the floor, the priest's blood flying in all directions. At long last, Father Simon Wales fell silent.

They took a moment to relax and breathe after the battle. They had dealt with Spider Splicers before, but Simon Wales had proved to be a cut above the others. Searching his corpse, Omega retrieved the gate key. The altar of the chapel had an Audio Diary contained more of Wales' insane ramblings, but what drew their eye was the large picture behind the altar. A giant woman, likely a goddess, was wearing a white dress, and the damned were reaching up to her for help. The "goddess" had a Blue Morpho butterfly for a head.

"Is this what they think Eleanor will look like?" asked Omega in shock.

Delta shook his head, groaning, and shook his fist at the picture.

The pair exited the chapel through the door in the back, which took them to the pump control room. They located the control switch, and Omega flipped it.

Sofia Lamb's voice sounded in their helmets.

"Do you think me a tyrant? Vying for control of a dead man's dream?"

"That's exactly what you're doing!" shouted Omega.

"No...the city is nothing. Rapture must die, so that Eleanor may rise from its body. Allow me to demonstrate."

Suddenly, the pipes around them burst, water shooting out in all directions.

"She's overloaded the pumps! We gotta get outta here!" shouted Omega.

Delta rumbled in agreement.

They ran as fast as they could out of the control room, back through the chapel, back the way they came. The area shook, and the water level rose at an alarming rate, covering the floor. As they ran, Sofia continued to taunt them:

"I want you both to commit this to memory for me-this howling, brutish slog through the dark. _This...is who...we...are!_"

They exited back into the alley, and quickly climbed the stairs to get to higher ground, so as to escape the constantly rising water level. They emerged back in the junction that connected the two alleys. The pipes around them kept shooting water, and the floor was completely covered. They reached the door...

...and it burst open!

A massive blast of water hit them, momentarily knocking them both on their backs. They regained their balance, and walked out into the alley.

Had it not been for their suits, they would have surely joined the Splicers in death. The now completely flooded alleyway was filled with many corpses, all floating around, even above their heads. It was almost unreal, the sudden snap to reality that they were still underwater, that the ocean could suddenly emerge like with just a little push.

"Look...this is the world for which you strive. The both of you...alone among the dead."

Sofia's final taunt went ignored as the radios once again fell silent.

A great white shark swam above them, but did not bother to attack. Perhaps the great hunter of the seas recognized stronger opponents and puts its own survival first. Either way, Omega and Delta headed toward the entrance to Siren Alley. They proceeded through the filtering station and outside the building. As they walked along the ocean floor, they spotted a Big Sister in another flooded building through the windows. She shrieked at them, only to run away. They continued to the Dionysus Park filtering station. Delta drained the chamber of water, and they entered Dionysus Park.


	9. Chapter 6: Lamb's Garden

Chapter 6: Lamb's Garden

Subjects Omega and Delta exited the filtering chamber into Dionysus Park. They received a briefing about the area from Sinclair.

"Dionysus Park was owned by Sofia Lamb...sort of a private retreat for her social experiments. One night, it flooded, killin' all her guests. Papers said it was cult-related. I'm waitin' at the train station. Let's rendezvous."

Stepping into the park, Omega and Delta could see the traces the ocean had left on the place. Barnacles and coral littered the area. Fish flopped helplessly on the ground as water leaked down from above. A gate in front of them slammed shut, and a shadow on the wall appeared only to vanish in a cloud of blood-red smoke. They turned to the right and followed the hallway, turning left down another hallway. A shadow at the end dashed away. They turned left into a large area littered with wooden crates and scaffolding. There was a clang, and an empty oil barrel rolled across the area in front of them.

Red flashes appeared all around them, and suddenly, a cloud of red appeared at the top of one of the wooden scaffolding platforms. A Houdini Splicer began to rain down fireballs on the duo. Omega flung them back with Telekinesis as Delta opened fire with his Rivet Gun. The Splicer fell to the ground.

"Attention! Subjects Delta and Omega have drained and infiltrated Dionysus Park!" Sofia's voice pierced over the intercom pierced the silence. "Their deaths are our rebirth! The life of the People's Daughter is in your hands!"

"Sounds like we're gonna have company" said Omega.

Delta nodded in agreement.

They passed through another storage area and up a flight of stairs, which led them to the balcony of the large storage area.

A security camera rotated nearby. Omega shot a Hack Dart at it, gaining control over the device. They ascended another flight of stairs to another storage room. A Splicer ran through a doorway, only to drop dead instantly, muttering "Motherfuck..."

Omega and Delta saw that the doorway was lined with an electric spear trap. In the next storage area, they could hear more Splicers speaking to each other, complaining about the state of Dionysus Park.

Omega took careful aim, and took out one of the Splicers with a spear. He and Delta then killed the remaining Splicers with Pistol and Rivet Gun shots.

As they approached the door, they heard a conflict on the other side. There were gunshots. A man's voice.

"No! Get back! She's my little girl!"

There was the telltale shriek of a Big Sister and then...silence.

The doors opened, revealing a large merry-go-round. Sinclair contacted them again as they entered the large room.

"Well, the good news is I've found a new train car. The station's still locked down, though. We're not alone, either: I see a shadow in the security booth. I'll lay low while you fellas take a gander."

Another voice sounded over the radios. It was a weasely voice, suggesting that the owner wasn't very trustworthy.

"Well, hello boys! Name's Stan Poole-Rapture Tribue. Quality paper...before the locals stopped readin' and startied findin'...other uses for it. Anyway, I'm lookin' to cut a deal, fellas. Come by the train station. I'm here in the booth."

There wasn't much to see in the area, but in the carousel, a revolver lay next to an Audio Diary. After hearing it, Omega could put together any remaining pieces.

"Sofia's been using the Big Sisters to kidnap girls from the surface?" he asked.

Delta nodded.

"So then whoever that man was, he was looking for his daughter who was taken...I guess saving Little Sisters would put a dent in Sofia's plans, huh? She needs ADAM, and lots of it, to turn Eleanor into...something."

Delta nodded again, his hand shining a pale pink.

There was nothing more to be said. They continued past the rusted carousel through a door marked "Employees Only". They heard Splicers up ahead. Following the sign marked "To Trains, they turned right, coming upon a trio of Splicers. After dealing with them, they received a radio transmission.

"Dionysus Park was my home" said Sofia Lamb. "An experiment in social unity, cut short by human folly. The both of you dishonor its memory with every step."

"Now, that...see, Lamb knows _you're_ here, but I'm incognito" said Stanley Poole. "Thing is, since you drained out the Park, the Little Sisters are already startin' to, uh... nose around, lookin' for ADAM. And...I can't have that."

Omega shrugged. "Guess we'll get to put a dent in Sofia's plans here and now."

They continued through an underwater tunnel and came upon a room where two Splicers were attempting to crack a safe, with no luck. Omega pinned one to the wall by the head with a well-placed spear shot, and Delta killed the other with a Rivet to the head.

The safe held some ammunition for Delta's shotgun, but little else. They proceeded through another tunnel and into a room where they found a red wagon containing a Launcher. They heard Eleanor again.

"Take this, Father. Mother can't hear this, but she's looking right at me...and her face..."

Next to the Launcher was a vial of pale-pink liquid labeled "For Omega".

Delta picked up the Launcher and Omega injected the Little Sister Saver into his arm, causing his hand to glow the same pale pink that Delta had displayed earlier.

"Hang on, Eleanor" said Omega. "We're coming; just hang in there."

The station was just ahead. After hacking the turret from afar, Delta and Omega engaged the Splicers in the station with help from the turret. When the Splicers were dead, they stepped up to the window of the station booth.

Stanley Poole matched his voice: he was a weasely-looking man, the kind a person shouldn't trust unless they had no alternative. Unfortunately, neither Delta nor Omega had any alternative.

"Okay, so dead men tell no tales, right?" said Stanley. "Wrong! See, with ADAM involved, every stiff's got a story-and Lamb knows how to read it. If that stuff makes it back to her...I'm an obituary. So, I want you two to take the story of Dionysus Park and bury it. Get rid of the Little Sisters...your way. Save 'em, harvest 'em, do whatever it is you do. Then, I'll let ya on through. Scout's honor!"

"It doesn't look like we have much choice" said Omega.

"I'd say 'he's hiding something', but he sorta took the fun out o' that one" remarked Sinclair. "Still, you're right about that; you're just gonna hafta play along."

They made their way back to the carousel, and entered "Lamb's Garden".

They saw a banquet table with a party hat on it and several wine bottles. Before the Park had flooded, there had been a party of some sort here.

Entering the door to the right, they found a Bouncer pounding Splicers into pulp. They decided to wait until the Splicers were dead before attacking. Delta pounded away with his gatling gun and Omega hurled blasts of electricity. The Bouncer charged, but fell dead before he could reach them. Delta picked up the Little Sister, and she led them to an ADAM-filled corpse.

"ADAM, Daddy! Right here!" she exclaimed. Delta put the Little Sister down, and she began to gather.

Splicers flooded the area. Leadheads went down with shots to the head, while Spider Splicers were met with shotgun blasts and electricity-fueled punches as they got within range. A Leadhead Splicer on the balcony opened fire, and Delta took the opportunity to test out his new Launcher by shooting a grenade onto the balcony, blowing the Splicer apart.

When the Little Sister was finished, Delta picked her up again.

"I'm _always_ safe with Daddy!" she cried happily.

There wasn't much left to do in Lamb's Garden, so they exited back to the Carousel, where another ADAM corpse awaited them. Delta set the Little Sister down, and she began to gather. Splicers swarmed them, but they weren't much of a problem. Then the Houdini Splicer appeared. He hurled fireballs at them, teleporting all around. When he stopped to throw more fire, Delta unloaded with his gatling gun, knocking the Houdini Splicer to the ground. Omega leapt, impaling the Splicer with his needle.

The Little Sister was finished gathering, so Delta removed her Gatherer Conditioning, and helped her into a nearby vent.

Suddenly, Eleanor contacted them again.

"There's something you both should know. The ADAM these girls gathered...it contains memories of Dionysus Park. Normally, only a Little Sister can see them...but I can show you what Stanley's trying to hide."

A memory of Stanley appeared before them. He injected himself with a needle. Another memory appeared, this one of Stanley with two scantily-clad women.

"When Mother was taken away, Stanley was left in charge of Dionysus Park. He threw these mad parties...it was like he was trying to ruin her..."

"So that's why Stanley wants us covering it up" observed Omega.

They returned to the Carousel, and climbed the stairs to the balcony.

"Subject Delta's just a serial number, amigo" explained Stanley. "They used ta call ya 'Johnny Topside'. Found the city all on your own in a diving belt...real shame what they did ta ya."

Omega looked at Delta. "Johnny Topside, huh?"

Delta shrugged, indicating that it wasn't his idea.

They entered the Piano Bar, and outside, a Big Sister appeared, before teleporting away in a flash of blue-violet smoke.

Omega looked at the signs pointing in different directions.

"We'll be able to cover more ground if we split up" he suggested.

Delta put a hand on Omega's shoulder, telling him to be careful.

"You too, big guy" responded Omega.

Delta headed towards the Triton Cinema, and Omega proceeded towards the art galleries.

_Delta_

Delta entered a large atrium, strangely empty. He had half expected there to be Splicers prowling around. The door at the end lead him to what seemed to be the entrance area of the Park. A door lead back to the station, which Delta made note of.

The right side lead to the entrance of Triton Cinema. Delta quickly shot a Hack Dart at the Rocket Turret lying in wait before proceeding forward. The ticket booth required an Electro Bolt to enter, and the rusty gate made a terribly grating sound as it slowly rose. Inside, Delta found three proximity mines. Delta then turned around and entered the old theater.

"ADAM _is_ Rapture, Delta!" proclaimed Sofia Lamb. "The finest minds of Paradise in a single, sublime mosaic. Eleanor; consider the genius you deny her with every stolen drop."

Though he could not put it into words, Delta knew that Eleanor didn't want the "genius" Sofia was talking about, but Sofia didn't seem to care about her daughter's free will.

Delta continued on into the theater, past the concession area, and into the theater itself. Inside was a Little Sister and her Big Daddy, a Bouncer. Delta waited until the Bouncer finished mopping up the Splicers before he attacked. Firing armor-piercing rounds at the Bouncer got its attention. It charged at Delta, swinging its drill at him. Delta had run out of ammo, so he quickly paralyzed the Bouncer with an Electro Bolt to buy enough time to reload. Then he pumped the Bouncer with armor-piercing rounds again, downing it.

Delta's new Little Sister pointed to the balcony, so Delta climbed the stairs in the back to the top, emerging onto the balcony, where he found a corpse.

"Here it is!" cried the Little Sister.

Delta set her down and prepared himself for the mob of Splicers.

Spider Splicers dropped down, and Delta responded with his shotgun and drill. The last Splicer standing kicked Delta off the edge of the balcony, and he landed with a thud below. He quickly picked himself up, and rushed back up the stairs onto the balcony, just in time to see the Spider Splicer raise his meathook, ready to attack the Little Sister. He never got the chance, as he was blown off the balcony himself by a shotgun blast. The Little Sister looked at Delta happily as he picked her up again.

The second ADAM-filled corpse lay on the floor of the theater. Delta set down his Little Sister, who began to gather as Delta readied himself for another fight. Shotgun shells flew as Spider Splicers leapt at him. Leadhead Splicers threw grenades at him, and Delta hurled them right back. When the fight was over, Delta was panting hard, but took the time to catch his breath. Picking up the Little Sister again, he made his way back up to the balcony, where he found a vent for her. Placing his hand on her head, there was a pale pink flash, and the Little Sister was human once more. She climbed into the vent and vanished from sight.

Suddenly, Delta received another message from Eleanor.

Young Eleanor was standing in front of Stanley, speaking to him angrily.

"That's me, there. I told Stanley that I'd tell Mother what he was up to. He panicked, sold me to an orphanage. I tried to fight back, but...Father, _he's the reason I became a Little Sister_."

Delta clenched his fist in anger as fury coarsed through him at the cowardly little weasel known as Stanley Poole. It took several minutes for Delta to calm down. He decided to explore the projection booth to see if anything worthwhile lay inside. He was glad he did; inside he found a light-blue Gene Tonic with an interesting label...

_Omega_

Omega entered the J. Fischer Gallery first. He proceeded carefully, hearing Splicers inside. Entering, he found a Bouncer fighting with a Houdini Splicer. Waiting until the dust had settled, Omega zapped the Bouncer with an Electro Bolt before opening fire with his Spear Gun. Most of the spears seemed to bounce off the Bouncer's heavy armor. The Bouncer recovered from the shock, and Omega had to zap him again. He switched to his pistol, scoring a few hits before the Bouncer charged him. Omega leapt over the Bouncer and kicked him from behind into the wall. Then, he unleashed a flurry of electric and fire-fuelled punches and kicks to the Bouncer. He ended his assault with a charged-up Electro Bolt. Electricity surged through the Bouncer's heavy metal frame as it fell to the floor, smoking. Omega picked up the Little Sister.

"That's my Big Brother!" she exclaimed happily.

The Little Sister led him to a corpse nearby, and Omega set her down. She began to gather, and he prepared himself for the onslaught that he knew would come.

Almost immediately, Splicers flooded the area. The Leadhead Splicers proved little challenge, but when the Spider Splicers entered, Omega found himself against gueling odds. One of them knocked him away from the Little Sister, and she began to scream as another reached for her. There was no time to think; Omega charged himself up with electricity. Ignoring the pain of electricity surging through his own body, Omega grit his teeth and leapt at the Spider Splicers. He released the energy, and electricity burst forth from his body, shocking every Splicer in the area. They all fell to the ground, smoking and burnt. Omega picked up the Little Sister.

"My Big Brother takes care of me!" she cried happily.

Just then, Omega saw Eleanor. She was contacting him again.

Omega saw a younger Eleanor standing in front of Stanley in Dionysus Park. She was speaking to him angrily.

"That's me, there. I told Stanley that I'd tell Mother what he was up to. He panicked, sold me to an orphanage. I tried to fight back, but...Jason, _he's the reason I became a Little Sister_."

Omega's fist clenched in anger.

"That cowardly little weasel!" He muttered. Sighing, Omega remembered a happier time, or so he had thought then.

_Two years ago..._

_A 16-year old Eleanor was in a classroom of sorts in Fontaine Futuristics. She was performing a complicated equation on the blackboard. Subject Omega, A.K.A. Jason Smith, entered the room and removed his helmet._

_"Doing homework?" he asked._

_"Jason!" she exclaimed happily, running into his arms. The embrace was short-lived. Eleanor sighed sadly. _

_"You know we can't...Mother won't allow it."_

_"Because your 'destiny' is to save the world, right?" asked Jason sarcastically._

_Eleanor smiled sadly. "I don't really have much choice, though, do I?"_

_"I could get you out of here; we can go to the surface and leave Rapture behind. You always wanted to see the sun, didn't you? We can forget all about this, all about your mother."_

_Eleanor knew that what he asked was her dream come true, but...something held her back._

_"Jason...she's my mother. I can't just leave her." Eleanor tried to explain._

_"Yes, she's your mother...a mother who's trying to turn you into a slave. You know this is true, Eleanor. Why can't you just face the truth? Is this what you really want?"_

_It took Eleanor a long time to respond. "...No."_

_"Then come with me! We can see the sun, we can do whatever we want. We can be free." he proposed._

_The present..._

Eleanor had said yes, and they had been planning their escape. When had everything gone wrong? Omega's memories were still fuzzy, but obviously Sofia had found them, done..._something_...to Omega, and taken Eleanor away. He forced himself to concentrate on his mission.

The Little Sister directed him to a corpse just outside Imago Fine Arts. Spider Splicers surged throughout the area, each one met with a spear or a close-range needle attack. One almost got close enough to the Little Sister, only to suddenly have his head removed by a slash of the needle. When the Little Sister was finished, Omega carried her to a vent on the right.

Eleanor contacted him again.

"With me gone, Stanley let Mother's followers run wild. But when Mother broke out, he knew that they would blame him. So he found a way to silence them all...

Omega saw Stanley pounding a metal valve with a pipe. Little by little, water leaked from the connecting pipe, until it then shot out in a relentless stream...

"Stanley flooded this place..." observed Omega.

His thoughts were interrupted by Sofia's voice over the loudspeaker.

"Omega...our conflict of interest seems to be upsetting Eleanor. For her sake, I have made it clear to these men that you are not to suffer."

Splicers entered the area. Two Spider Splicers, and one Houdini Splicer.

"Oh, sure...you're a real humanitarian...crazy bitch" muttered Omega.

"I accept full responsibility for any anger you experience before you die" said Sofia.

"What about Eleanor's anger? You don't think she won't hate you for trying to kill me off!" yelled Omega.

When the Splicers were dead, Omega took a breather...only to hear something even worse than Splicers. A loud, high-pitched shriek pierced the area.

"Ah, crap..." muttered Omega.

The Big Sister leapt at him from above, needle first. Omega barely managed to deflect it with his own, and was knocked to the ground. Big Sister stood over him, needle raised, only to receive a full-body Electro-Bolt. Omega kicked her back, and stabbed her with his needle, earning the Big Sister a wound to the chest. She began to launch fireballs in every direction, resulting in Omega using Telekinesis to launch back what fireballs he could. When it looked like he was about to win, the Big Sister rushed over to a Splicer who was unfortunate enough to enter the area, and drained it of ADAM, healing herself. She then teleported, appearing behind Omega, and kicked him to the ground. She raised her needle for an execution. There was a loud bang, and her helmet cracked, a mixture of ADAM and blood oozing out of the cracks as the Big Sister fell to the ground. Omega looked up and saw Delta, his shotgun smoking.

"Thanks for the help" said Omega.

_No problem._

Omega did a double-take. "Did you just...?"

_Speak with my mind? Yes. I found a very handy Telepathy Gene Tonic in the Triton Cinema_, explained Delta.

"Nice!" said Omega appreciatively.

The happy mood was short-lived, however, when they reached the train station.

"You saw the memories?" Omega asked.

_Yes. I know what Stanley did._

They both looked at the booth where Stanley was.

"Subjects Delta and Omega...I have known for years of Stanley's betrayal" announced Sofia Lamb. "I had forgiven him, but in compromising Elanor now...he seals his fate. You see, Delta...it was Stanley who turned you into Ryan. He is responsible for what you have become. The security booth is open now. You may have your revenge."

The security booth opened, and as Delta marched in, more furious than ever, Stanley cowered against the wall. Omega quickly followed Delta.

"Delta, wait" said Omega.

_Why! This little weasel sold Eleanor to the orphanage, he sold me out to Ryan, he flooded this place to cover his own ass. He deserves to die! Give me one reason why I shouldn't drill him into the wall!_

"I'll give you two! Why do you think Sofia let you in? She _wants_ you to kill him! I know what he's done too, but I also know that killing him will just be playing into Sofia's hands! Are you going to prove her right, that you're a mindless brute in a diving suit?"

Delta paused. _What's the other reason?_

"Look at the miserable little bastard" said Omega. "He's pathetic. He's no threat to us, and besides, does he really look like he's worth wasting your time on? Eleanor needs us."

Delta looked at Stanley, who was still cowering. When Delta looked at him, he suddenly felt neither pity nor anger...but disgust.

_Omega's right...you're too pathetic to kill._

Delta turned his back on the cowering mess known as Stanley Poole, Omega right behind him. They boarded the train for its next destination.


	10. Chapter 7: Fontaine Futuristics

Chapter 7: Fontaine Futuristics

Omega and Delta stepped off the train into the station of Fontaine Futuristics. They had finally arrived.

"This is it, boys: the end of the line" said Sinclair. "If I'm right, Eleanor's momma's usin' ADAM to force all Rapture's minds an' memories into the poor girl...Lamb reckons it'll make that child a saint. Now, Eleanor's in a deep dark place beneath Fontaine Headquarters."

"Persephone" said Omega. "It's a prison built underneath Fontaine Futuristics. Sofia used to be a prisoner there. Now she's the warden."

_How do you know this?_ asked Delta.

"I was Eleanor's bodyguard after she had been taken back by Sofia. Sofia made the mistake of letting me keep my free will. When she discovered that I was trying to help Eleanor escape, she decided that I had outlived my usefulness. She sent me down to Persephone, set a bunch of Splicers on me, one after another. Sort of like a fight arena. She kept sending them after me until I couldn't fight anymore." Omega shuddered at the memory. "Then she dumped my body over in Point Prometheus on the other side of Rapture."

_Then should know your way around pretty well_, remarked Delta.

"Yeah, I guess I should" replied Omega as they exited the station.

They entered onto a balcony, and beyond the room they were in, they could see the looming building ahead: Fontaine Futuristics. Two Leadhead Splicers were below. They opened fire with their machine guns. Omega took one out with a pistol to the head. The other yelled, "Down the hatch!" as he threw a frag grenade, only to have it sent back at him by Delta using Telekinesis.

The door ahead was blockaded; multiple signs and tape covered it, all reading "Seized by Ryan Industries". The door itself was slightly leaking, and looking through the glass walls, they could see why: the main entrance tunnel had collapsed.

"Looks like we're taking the indirect approach" said Omega. They entered the door on the left into what seemed to be a maintenence entrance. They descended the stairs, and the nearby screen lit up. A man with a mustache and receding hairline appeared on it.

"Hello. My name is Gilbert Alexander, and by the time you hear this, I will be clinically insane. This is a message for anyone hearing it as a plea to...deal with me. The bio-scanner ahead should see that you're sane enough."

Sinclair contacted them. "Gil Alexander...as I recall, he was involved in Big Daddy development from the beginning. Likely had something to do with Delta and Eleanor."

"He also assisted in the Big Brother project" added Omega. "I remember him. I wonder how far gone he is now?"

_We'll probably be finding out soon enough_, said Delta.

They passed some spare Big Daddy suits and entered a filtering chamber. Pulling the level to "Flood" closed the door they had come in from and flooded the chamber. The door ahead opened, and they stepped outside. They could now clearly see the remains of the collapsed tunnel, and in front of them: Fontaine Futuristics. The extremely tall building loomed up before them, the lights on its dark frame making it look menacing to its visitors. They entered another filtering chamber connected to the main building, and stepped through to another maintenence access area. Ahead, a corpse was sprawled up against the wall. "You're Fired!" was written on the wall.

They entered the main lobby, and saw a group of Splicers gathered around a corpse. A Security Bot hovered nearby. A grating voice emanated from the bot.

"He's stealing office supplies! Company ADAM! Search him!"

One of the Splicers replied, "But, Mr. A, he's dead! An' there ain't none left!"

The voice from the bot only grew angrier. "Mr. A! I am your employer, boy! _WHAT IS MY NAME!_"

The Splicer quickly answered, "Alex the Great!"

"Oh, _now_ it remembers! Too late, my friend! _TOO LATE!_"

The Security Bot zapped the Splicer with a lethal electric shock.

"Dismissed! Fired! _TERMINATED!_" chanted Alex the the Great. "I hope that was instructive for the rest of you.

Alex the Great then took notice of Omega and Delta and his security bot floated over. On a screen, they saw an angry-red face, with dark grey eyes.

"Oh, come to line your pockets with Fontaine ingenuity, have you? Understand, sirs, that _I_ am the body corporate! Understand that _I_ am Alex the Great! A company is an organism, my friends...I can piss you both back into the ocean with just a little squeeze!"

With that, two Houdini Splicers appeared. They threw fireballs, only to have them thrown right back. Delta drill-dashed at one of them, knocking him back into the wall, where he slumped down. Omega shot the other through the head. Leadhead Splicers rose from the floor after playing dead and opened fire. They were outmatched.

"Alex the Great! Oh, hell, that has to be Gil Alexander!" exclaimed Sinclair. "He sounds mad as a March Hare now."

They climbed the stairs in the lobby, and activated the bio-scan.

"Initiating bio-scan...identifying status..."

"Subjects identified. Subject 1 identified. Classification: Protector. Designation: Delta. Status: Deceased. Updating status...Status: Active."

"Subject 2 identified. Classification: VIP Protector. Designation: Omega. Status: Deceased. Updating status...Status: Active."

Alex the Great spoke up again.

"What's this! My secretary vouches for you! Delta and Omega...ah! Delta, you're one of our old Protectors, yes? And Omega...charged with the protection of high-ranking personnel, yes, yes...You're both fine products, fine products indeed...say, don't look now, but I believe one of your old colleagues wants to welcome you back to the office!"

The hole in the wall above the entrance to the lobby was suddenly filled...with a Big Daddy eerily similar to Delta. It leapt down to the floor.

"Is that...an Alpha-series!" asked Omega in shock.

_Yes_, answered Delta grimly.

The Alpha-Series Big Daddy launched grenades at them from a Launcher. They launched them right back at it. It charged up the stairs as Delta shot at it with armor-piercing rounds and Omega launched electricity at it. It grabbed Delta and headbutt him, knocking him down. It then punched Omega away. Delta launched a grenade of his own at it, catching the Alpha model right in the face of its helmet. The Alpha-series fell to the floor.

"Damn, those things are tough" said Omega as he got up.

They continued through, and a screen in front of them lit up, displaying the previously sane Gilbert Alexander.

"Hello...I have been exposed to a massive amount of ADAM. By the time you hear this, I will have armed this facility's defenses. You, friend, must penetrate the defenses and kill me. Use the diary in the nearby security box to bypass the vocal print locks. The password is Agnus Dei."

The gate ahead had one of those vocal print locks. Omega held up the Audio Diary and played it. Alexander's voice said, "Agnus Dei". The security scanner registered his voice, and the door opened.

"I heard that!" yelled Alex the Great. "My likeness is company property, just like the two of you! Don't make me strip you both for parts, me laddos!"

The security office in the next room also required Alexander's voice. However, this time, Alex the Great interfered. His Secuirty Bot flew up, and his loud, grating voice spoke.

"I warned you two! A-hem..._STRONGER ARM AND SHARPER BRAIN, THAT'S WHY THE FUTURE...IS...FONTAAAAAAAIIIIIIINE!_"

The security scanner shorted out, sparking.

"Automatic deactivation for 60 seconds."

"The security office is well above either of your pay grades!" yelled Alex the Great. "If you're keen to help, the restrooms need a good scrub. Here's a clerk or two to help you out!"

The "clerks" turned out to be Leadhead Splicers, who weren't of much help...nor were they much of a problem. The doors opened to a large area with twin staircases. In front of them was a corpse pinned to the wall by a spear in his head, along with his hat and briefcase. "FIRED!" was written all around him on the wall. They decided to check out the "Pladmis Laboratory" first.

There on the wall was a Bot Shutdown panel, but a strange device was connected to it.

"Don't you dare touch that Signal Relay! Its value is ten times the both of you!" shouted Alex the Great.

Omega zapped it with an Electro Bolt, shorting it out, and Delta yanked it off the panel, crushing it in his fist.

"I'm very disappointed in you boys...destruction of a Fontaine asset is punishable by summary dismissal. Shall I simplify that for you? Fired. Fired! _FIRED!_" yelled Alex the Great maniacally.

An alarm went off, only to be deactivated seconds later due to the fact that Omega and Delta were right next to a Bot Shutdown panel.

"If we take out the rest of these, we shouldn't have any more trouble from Alex the Great" said Omega.

They entered the Plasmid Showroom through the back, and came out backstage. Then, the metal curtain rose.

"ADAM! Even hopeless underperformers like you two can be successful!" cried Alex the Great. "Let's see if you're staying competitive! Step on up, and take the spotlight!"

Burned into the stage floor were the words "Welcome Back, Delta and Omega!"

Then, the lights went out, and the metal curtain slammed shut behind them.

Like a showman, Alex the Great began to commentate.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we invite you today to shed your criticisms, expand your mind, and evolve your body, as we introduce our home-defense Plasmid line!"

A recording of applause played.

"May we have a volunteer from the audience?"

Alex's Security Bot hovered back and forth, scanning the audience (which was mostly made up of corpses).

"How about you, sir?"

The Security Bot settled on a corpse.

"No! He's positively rigid!"

A recording of an audience laughing played.

Omega and Delta were not amused.

"Ah-ha! What about you, my dear? Yes, let's give her a hand, folks!"

A female Houdini Splicer teleported onstage.

"Only a single volunteer? Come, gentlemen! Come on down, all of you!"

More Houdini Splicers appeared onstage, shooting fire.

Delta and Omega used the exhibits onstage to their advantage, which emitted lightning and fire as the respective elements were flung at them. When the Splicers were dead, Alex began to speak once more.

"A round of applause, for Subjects Delta and Omega!"

A recording of applause played. Then, an Alpha-series enetered the theater.

"Oh, my! It seems you boys have upstaged a fellow demonstrator, and he's here to steal the show! What will Delta and Omega do now, folks!"

Delta fired his machine gun and Omega hurled bolts of electricity at the "demonstrator", who also carried a gatling gun. The combined assault proved too much for the Alpha-series Big Daddy, and he fell to the floor.

They entered the theater and destroyed the Signal Relay on the wall. They then exited the Showroom and ascended the stairs to the second floor.

Next to a Little Sister vent, they found an Audio Diary detailing Eleanor's "Life After Sisterhood".

_She thought of herself as a freak? What does that make me, then?_ asked Delta, looking down at his hands.

"I was there, remember?" Omega consoled him. "She recorded that very early on. When I met her, she was still grieving for you. She was still fighting the conditioning. After Alexander helped her, after she was able to think clearly again...Sofia tried to take advantage of it, to continue with her plan. That only turned Eleanor against her in the end."

_...Thank you._

There were two ways to go. Delta and Omega proceeded to the left, through the small double doors at the end.

"Marketing Department" informed Omega.

There were two Splicers seated at the long table. Delta shot one in the head, and Omega pinned the other to the walls with a spear to the head. A Houdini Splicer teleported onto the table.

"Get back to work, ya lazy pieces a' shit!" he yelled.

The Houdini Splicer threw flames at Delta and Omega, which were hurled back, but the Splicer teleported away, avoiding them. He reappeared behind Delta and Omega, and fired again. Delta and Omega unloaded their gatling gun and pistol on the Splicer, who fell under the barrage of bullets.

With the Marketing Department clear, Delta and Omega entered the door to the right first. Inside was an office with a rapidly flashing Plasmid on the desk. Omega touched it curiously, and it vanished, only to reappear again on the desk.

"Teleportation" remarked Omega.

Delta tried to pick it up, but it vanished again.

"Must be unstable" said Omega.

They exited back out into the main room, and entered the left room this time, to see that the room was flooded, and the water covering the floor surged with electricity.

"Allow me" said Omega.

With that, Omega performed an agile leap to the wall across from the door, using his needle to dig in and hang above the electrified water. He then leapt to the left, landing on a safe portion of the floor.

Delta clapped. _Impressive_.

Omega fired a Hack Dart at the control panel, and the electricity shut off.

"OK, we're good" he said, and Delta joined him.

Then, Omega heard his "boss" again.

"That little infraction just earned you another slap on the nose, boy!" barked Alex the Great.

Splicers entered the room. Omega got an idea, and quickly got onto the safe section of the floor, Delta following. Omega fired an Electro-Bolt into the water, temporarily electrifying it, catching the unfortunate Splicers by surprise.

_Good thinking_, remarked Delta.

They broke the Signal Relay, and exited the Marketing Department.

The only remaining room on the second floor was the "Office of Frank Fontaine", as the large sign over the door read.

"The top boss' office" remarked Omega.

They stepped through...

...and were greeted by an Alpha-series. It roared and leapt, landing directly in front of them. It fired its gatling gun, and Delta fired back with his as Omega launched blast after blast of electricity. The Alpha-series tried to move away, to dodge, but the combination of armor-piercing rounds and Electro-Bolts was overwhelming, and it fell to the floor. On the right side of the room, they found the final Signal Relay. When it was destroyed, Alex the Great spoke up again.

"Insubordination! Severance package canceled! Benefits...benefits rescinded! I...I...!"

Alex the Great's Security Bot sparked and shuddered, before finally exploding.

"Looks like that's it. Back to the security office" said Omega.

Stepping back out onto the second floor, they heard Sofia's voice again.

"Each new Tyrant ventured here in search of conquest. Fontaine. Ryan. And now, the two of you. But every aspiring Caesar must learn to fear the knives of his fellows. Ask yourselves...what does Sinclair stand to gain in guiding you here?"

"Sinclair?" Omega asked. He turned to Delta. "She wasn't lying about Stanley...but how much of her words can we really trust?"

_We can't do anything about it now. We just have to keep pushing forward._

Omega nodded, still pondering Sofia's words and their meaning.

Back at the security office, they were let in without any interruption this time. Gilbert Alexander appeared on the screen inside.

"I must assume by now that you're willing to help end my life. There's a switch in here that should allow you access to the real laboratories, where what remains of me awaits you. I have prepared a friendly security escort to lead you there."

They flipped the switch, and heard a door open somewhere. Exiting back out into the lobby, a security bot hovered up to them, before turning around andhovering away. They followed it to an "Employees Only" door, where it shut down and landed on the floor, lifeless. They entered through the door to a maintenence access area. They descended the stairs and headed through a door. Next to a spare Rosie helmet, lay an Audio Diary. Gilbert Alexander spoke when it was activated.

"I was to be Sofia Lamb's greatest achievement - a living composite of all Rapture's genius in the body of a single man...unfettered by self-interest. Now, I am nothing more to her than a failed experiment. My scores on tests of intelligence and moral reasoning are still noteworthy...but declining sharply. She has abandoned me...and I do not have long before psychosis takes me."

Behind his helmet, Omega turned pale. He looked at Delta, and knew they were both thinking the same thing.

_A massive amount of ADAM..._

"All of Rapture in a single body..."

_Gilbert Alexander was the prototype for what Sofia's doing to Eleanor._

"And now he's insane..."

There were a few moments of stunned silence, before Omega spoke again.

"We're not going to let that happen to her. Let's keep moving."

They passed more unused Big Daddy equipment and entered a filtering chamber. After exiting it into the ocean, they spotted a hole in the ocean floor a few feet away.

"The Gateway to Hell" said Omega.

Delta jumped down first, with Omega following him. Ahead, they saw an old rundown "Oxy-fill" Gas Station.

"As I recall from my time doin' business with the owners...that Oxy-fill station out there's just a front for a kinda hidden passage leadin' down below" explained Sinclair.

They entered through the filtering station, immediately noticing that the power was out. Odd-looking plants were thriving here. Round, red, glowing bulbs grew on the plants and looked remarkably similar to the Hypnotize Plasmid.

They passed through a door, and saw a control panel ahead. The screen lit up.

"I'm afraid the lights sting my eyes terribly now" said the recording of Gilbert Alexander. "Locate the two breaker switches and flip them; then return here to restore power."

Even with their helmet-lamps, it was difficult to find their way around in the dark. However, the eerie silence aided them in their search as they followed the sound of the breaker switches sparking. After flipping both switches, they returned to the control panel. Omega hit the switch, and Gilbert Alexander's recording began again.

"Sofia and I knew that to become the first True Utopian would come at a high cost. We needed someone to be host to all the ADAM in the city...that is, myself."

_But now Sofia's trying to force Eleanor into it._

"She must've thought that free will was why Alexander failed" suggested Omega, disgusted with the woman and her ideology.

The lights came back on, and a gigantic water tank was illuminated in front of them. Inside..._something_ equally gigantic let out a short scream of pain before swimming out of sight.

"Was that...?" Omega couldn't complete his sentence.

_Alex the Great?_ completed Delta.

"Whatever you may have seen inside the tank, that was indeed me" said Gilbert Alexander. "I fear poor Eleanor's fate will be less physical, but no less grotesque. This tank is idea for...disposing of me. In order to do so, you must retrieve 4 ADAM plants to lure me out. The sea slugs feed on it, and it's...all I seem to want now."

"He became a sea slug mutant" Omega realized.

They set about looking for the ADAM plants, realizing that to go further, they'd need a DNA sample of "Alex the Great" in order to create a genetic override key to go further. The left-most door took them to the "Test Subject Pacification Chamber". They cautiously stepped inside, wary of a trap.

They had good reason to be.

After recovering an ADAM plant, the door slammed shut. The room filled with steam, obscuring their vision. An Alpha-series appeared out of the haze, headbutting Delta, only to fall to the floor dead after Delta's shotgun blasts pierced its armor. Another Alpha model ran up, but suddenly fell dead all on its own.

"Poor things...what a like. Marchin' around playin' Daddy til some Splicer manages to kill off their Little Sister...and then if the coma doesn't kill 'em, they turn maniac" said Sinclair. "Uh...no offense."

Omega knew all about the pair bond used; Sofia had mentioned it briefly on those rare occasions that she spoke of Delta in relation to Eleanor. He had never known it was this serious, though.

Sofia Lamb's voice flooded in. "Subject Delta, your body begins to tear itself apart; the compulsion to find Eleanor will drive you to madness or coma. You have no claim on her, so why do you persist?"

Omega knew why: it was the same reason he persisted. Even if Omega was suffering because of his bond with Eleanor being broken, in the process his conditioning as a Big Daddy had been broken as well. He had a free will of his own, and like Omega, he chose to help Eleanor.

There was nothing left here, so they returned to the large room and entered the door on the right-most side next, which led to the holding cells.

The first room held little of interest besides a smoking Alpha-series corpse. Then, the door opened, and a Rumbler stepped in with a Little Sister. Delta and Omega immediately opened fire with their Launcher and Electro Bolt. The Rumbler fired its shoulder-mounted launcher, only to have its missile flung back by Omega while Delta continued firing with his launcher. The Rumbler fell to the floor, and as Delta picked up the Little Sister, Omega found something he didn't expect to find on a Big Daddy: an Audio Diary. He played it.

"Ask yourself, Mr. Meltzer...is it better to be summarily executed as an outsider caught within these grounds, or to be united not just with your daughter Cindy, but with the Rapture Family as well?" asked Sofia Lamb. "The choice is yours...I urge you to accept the Protector Program. You will live by her side, and remember nothing beyond your love for her."

"I wasn't the first to find Rapture, you crazy bitch."

Omega and Delta recognized the man's voice from Dionysus Park.

"I won't be the last. You do whatever you want to me. As long as I'm with Cindy...I'm a happy man."

"He came to Rapture to rescue his daughter...and Sofia turned him into a Big Daddy" muttered Omega angrily.

_The most we can do for him is to cure Cindy_, reasoned Delta.

"You're right. We can do that much, at least." Omega put his hand on Cindy's head, and in a flash of pale-pink, the Little Sister reverted to a human. Delta carried her over to a vent, and helped her inside.

"I hope she'll be OK" said Omega.

_She should be. Those vents were meant to protect Little Sisters._

They continued through the door that Meltzer the Rumbler had emerged from. They continued down the hall, and turned right, finding themselves in an operating room.

Eleanor showed them another memory, one of scientists placing an Alpha-series helmet on a man strapped down in a chair.

"This is where they bound us, Father...you and Jason are the only good things that Rapture ever gave me."

Then, Sofia Lamb spoke up.

"She was not meant to have a father. She was to be the heir to my life's work."

"But at the cost of her free will, her very existence!" shouted Omega.

"This is where they changed her" continued Sofia. "The child she was died in this room".

_Eleanor didn't die; she just gained freedom from your "legacy", if only temporarily_, replied Delta.

"Do not make the mistake of thinking that your newfound ability makes you any less of a monster" warned Sofia. "I will do everything in my power to protect her, regardless of how much she thinks she loves the both of you."

They found another ADAM plant in the operating room, leaving only one more to collect.

They found the final plant down in the holding cells below. The entry door was locked from inside, so they found their way in by dropping into one of the cells through a hole in the floor. A Splicer heard the impact, opened the door, and received a shotgun shell to the fact for his curiosity. They checked every cell, finding little of use besides various ammunition, until they found a cell with the final ADAM plant inside.

Exiting the cells, Sofia made note of their progress.

"Poor Gilbert...it was his will to die. To serve the majority by protecting them from his lunacy. Your entire journey here has been based on your refusals to do the same. Will you two grant his request, knowing that he served the Family?"

They looked at each other.

"Alexander did help Eleanor..." said Omega.

_Why should we take a life that will only help the "Family", one way or another? You showed me that with Stanley._

Omega and Delta returned to the large room, and opened the feeding mechanism. Omega fed the plants into the mechanism, which filtered them into the tank's water filters, filling the tank with particles of the ADAM plant.

"Notice to all employees!" announced Alex the Great. "Subjects Delta and Omega are hereby dismissed! Escort them from the premises at once!"

Alpha-series Big Daddies swarmed in, three of them. One went down in a flurry of armor-piercing rounds. Another was killed by Delta's launcher, and the third was taken out when it fired a grenade at Omega, only to have it sent back at its owner.

Alex the Great spoke once more.

"How dare you try to...buy me out with this...bribe, this pittance, this...sublime...mmmm...oh, God damn the both of you!"

"I think he likes it" said Omega, smirking.

Alex the Great swam upward into the tank, giving the two a clear view of him. Just as they thought, Gilbert Alexander had now become a human-sea slug mutant of sorts. His skin was a pinkish-red, and his head was not just bald, but completely slick and slimy. He had no visible mouth, and his eyes had grown so far apart that they were nearly on opposite sides of his head.

Delta hit the switch to extract a DNA sample, and Omega then worked on processing it into an override key. With the key in tow, their business was complete.

Gilbert Alexander's recording spoke one last time.

"The sample disposal button on the panel will administer a massive jolt of electricity to the tank, more than enough to kill me. Whatever I may say to dissuade you, _do not listen_. The man whose voice you hear now is long gone. As my mind fades, I find my thoughts turn to the suffering that Eleanor will be made to endure, and I am overcome with pity. But I can only offer my feeble prayers. Perhaps you can do more. Now, please...I ask you to grant me peace."

Alex the Great protested.

"You...you don't have to kill me! Please, I will go outside! _I WILL LIVE OUTSIDE!_"

Delta and Omega turned their backs on the insane business manager without another word.

Exiting the secret laboratory, Delta and Omega saw something they hadn't noticed before: a key slot on the Oxy-fill station. Sinclair was right; this was the entrance. Delta slid the key from Alexander inside. The ground shook, and the rock wall in front of them slid down to reveal a filtering chamber. They stepped inside, coming to a darkened hallway. At the end was a large elevator. They entered it, and it traveled downwards...to Persephone...


	11. Chapter 8: The Gates of Hell

Chapter 8: The Gates of Hell

The elevator took them down to a small chamber that led to Security Checkpoint A. It was an underwater tunnel that led to the main building of Persephone. This was the lowest area of Rapture, unknown to nearly all of the public. Looking ahead, Delta and Omega could see the building of Persephone, and it was even more foreboding than they could have imagined.

"This is it" said Omega. "We go in and save Eleanor, killing anything in our way...or we die right here trying."

_We've come too far to fail now_, said Delta. _Eleanor's leaving this place alive even if we don't_.

And with that, they began their journey into Hell.

As soon as they entered the main building, they could see that it had been in disuse for years. Water leaked, supplies and rubble littered the area, and the power was dying out. They received a radio message from Persephone's warden.

"I wonder...do you know why you are here? Have you any idea what my daughter has given you? As I watch the both of you, I envy your ignorance. You both still believe..."

Neither of them responded to Sofia's taunt. They were determined to the point of single-mindedness. They were focused on a single goal: save Eleanor.

They proceeded down the hallway and turned left after seeing the path right was blocked with rubble and debris. They followed the sign on the wall to the Quarantine Area, turning a right to find a door to the Control Room. Directly across the room was the Quarantine Chamber. Omega and Delta rushed to the door after seeing the occupant: Eleanor.

Omega quickly flipped the switch next to the door, resulting in a waiting period for the door to open. Sofia spoke up.

"How will she remember us, after this moment? I have placed my pieces on the board, as have the two of you. Is this what she hoped for? Her Mother locking eyes with her Father, her guardian protecting her from love? Yet we are still blind. Goodbye, and take heart that both of you, at least, have escaped your legacies..."

They heard them before they saw them: the telltale shrieks.

"Big Sisters!" yelled Omega.

The first of them dropped down into the room, flinging fire. Omega levitated a propane tank and launched it at the Big Sister, lighting her on fire and knocking her back with the explosion. Delta opened fire with his gatling gun and Omega pelted her with electricity. Delta then launched grenades at her before drilling her to death. Another Big Sister dropped down, pelting them both with flames. Delta began to fire heat-seeking missiles from his launcher as Omega poured electricity into their opponent. She dashed at Omega, slashing him with her needle and kicked Delta. Delta switched to his shotgun and Omega began to launch fireball after fireball at the Big Sister. Finally, the second Big Sister fell.

They rushed to the door, only to find themselves trapped; the door to the chamber was still shut, while the outer door slammed shut behind them. The room filled with fog, obscuring Eleanor from their view. Then, the fog cleared...and Sofia Lamb stood behind the bed on which Eleanor lay.

"Look at her...ten years, and still she dreams of her Father. Three years, and she dreams of the man she loves. Do you know why Eleanor brought you here? She loves the both of you. So, she restored you, both of you, in body and mind. She used her Little Sisters to program your DNA signatures into the Vita-Chamber."

Omega remembered now...

_"She's a human being, dammit! She has free will" yelled Omega._

_"No...she is to be the first True Utopian. There is no room for free will. Nor can something as petty and common as love will not stand in her way" replied Sofia._

_"You won't get away with this, you crazy bitch!" Omega struggled against the two Alpha-series holding him down._

_"Your words mean nothing to me; I have learned to reject the self, just as Eleanor will learn...and so much more."_

_Sofia bent down, lifted a luger from her purse._

_"This pistol was used by Delta to shoot himself while under Hypnosis. How fitting that it should be used to remove yet another obstacle in Eleanor's path to Utopia."_

_Omega's helmet was removed; he felt the cool metal against his skull. He braced himself, gritting his teeth._

_Sofia fired._

The next thing Omega remembered was a voice. Eleanor's voice, telling him to come back into the light. And he saw a light, followed it. When he awoke, he was in Point Prometheus.

Sofia's voice jerked Omega back to the present.

"She has exalted every act you have made as gospel, tossing away every virtue I have taught her, discarding them as rubbish and insanity. This girl lying here is no longer my child, nor is she my life's work. She is an abomination, a monster shaped by her love for you, and your actions that she has seen...just like she always wanted. However, there is one detail of her bond with you, Delta, that she failed to account for, just as there is one detail I never explained about the Big Brother program. While the Vita-Chamber does resurrect body and mind, it applies only to those who have experienced traumatic deaths. Delta will fall into a coma when her heart ceases to beat...and Omega's own heart will cease to beat when Eleanor's stops. Be grateful I allowed you this one small sympathy, Omega."

Sofia picked up Eleanor's pillow from underneath her head, and positioned it over her face.

"No!" cried Omega. Delta roared in anger.

"Forgive me...Eleanor."

With those words, Sofia plunged the pillow down onto Eleanor's face, suffocating her. The door opened, but it was too late: Delta and Omega fell to the floor as Eleanor struggled to breathe. Delta was lapsing into unsciousness, and Omega felt the pain in his heart as it struggled to beat, struggled to survive.

Omega's last thought was, _Eleanor...I failed you..._


	12. Chapter 9: Eleanor's Destiny

Chapter 9: Eleanor's Destiny

"Watch them. Their bodies are shutting down naturally...full restraints at all times. No one enters this room until they've expired."

Omega and Delta heard Sofia give this command as they slowly woke up.

"How...how are we alive?" asked Omega.

"Father...Jason...it's me, Eleanor. I'm still alive. I'm so sorry...Mother stopped my heart long enough to incapacitate you both. Our bond is severed now, Father...your body is continuing to shut down, but I can still help you escape."

Omega and Delta lifted their heads to see two Little Sisters crawling out of a vent.

"These Little Sisters have brought you something that will allow you to take control of them."

The Little Sisters climbed on top of Omega and Delta.

"Sssshhhh!" they said, before injecting both Omega and Delta with a special Plasmid.

In a flash of golden light, their perspectives changed. Omega and Delta found themselves looking down at their own bodies...from the eyes of a Little Sister. Not only that, but Persephone now looked...like a palace of sorts. Red carpet covered part of the floor, and the door was made of red cushioning.

_Is this how a Little Sister sees the world?_ wondered Omega.

"I know it feels a bit strange. This is how I brought you two back while still remaining in my cell. Mother won't expect me to use it again. First, let's get you two out of here."

Omega and Delta crawled through the vent, emerging in the main Quarantine area.

"Good. Now, inside Mother's office, there's a way to unlock these chambers. Find a way inside."

The only recognizable feature was the cell holding Eleanor. Through the eyes of a Little Sister, the area had been transformed: the pool of water on the ground from the area leaking was now a small pond with lilies floating around. To the left was a large statue of Delta that could easily be a heap of rubble. To the right, a heap of rubble was perceived as a statue of Omega.

Omega and Delta entered the vent leading to Sofia's office, emerging behind the locked doors.

"There should be a lever in there" advised Eleanor. "Pull it, and it will unlock our cells."

Turning a corner, they saw Sofia at her desk, her back to them. She announced over the intercom:

"Attention! Augustus Sinclair has been sighted within the facility. He will attempt to reach Subjects Delta and Omega. All Family duties are hereby suspended until he is found!"

Omega and Delta quietly slipped past Sofia, and found the switch. Delta kept an eye on her, making sure she was occuppied, before giving Omega the OK. Omega flipped the switch, and they continued to the other side of the office.

"What Mother did to me left me very weak" explained Eleanor. "Otherwise, I would do this myself. To save your life, Father, I'm going to have to change...to be like the two of you. From here, you should be able to locate the pieces of a Big Sister suit...please, bring them to me."

Ascending a flight of stairs, Omega and Delta came to a large hall. There were Splicers about, standing guard. They did not trouble the "Little Sisters".

Through the girls' eyes, Omega and Delta saw a red statue of themselves pulling a man out of a serpent's mouth. Below, the inscription "Dr. Gilbert" was written. The two Little Sisters moved through a door, down a small flight of stairs, and around a corner. As they were ascending more stairs, they looked to the left. There was another red statue, this one showing Grace standing between Omega and Delta. Beneath it was written "Daddy and Brother meet Aunt Gracie".

A room on the right held a Big Sister suit, seen as a beautiful dress through the Little Sisters' eyes. After collecting it, they continued down the hall.

"Ten years..." said Eleanor. "Ten years stuck in this...fever dream. The years I spent with you, Jason, were a brief respite from the nightmare, but for most of my life, I was unconscious. Mother kept me sedated in order to 'perfect' my mind with ADAM. To her, the ideal child is a genius, serving the commong good without questioning it. You have both saved me from that."

Entering through a door, they continued down a hallway past Splicers of the "Family". They emerged in the Repair Shop, where they found a Big Sister helmet on a desk, seen as a tiara by Little Sisters. They continued up a flight of stairs, entering another hall, where four Splicers stood guard. They turned a left, entering a storage room, and found a pair of Big Sister gauntlets, complete with a needle. They exited back into the hall, and opened the door ahead, leading them back to the large hall.

"Mother was right about one thing" said Eleanor. "I have been watching the two of you...studying the way you have treated others..._and now I know who I am_."

Reentering Sofia's office, they noticed that Sofia was gone.

"I am alive" said Eleanor. "Alive, sane, and curious enough to want to see the surface. After everything that's happened to me...when you saved my Little Sisters, I felt it...and it gave me hope I haven't felt in years."

They returned to Eleanor's chamber, and gave Eleanor her new suit. Eleanor, dressed as a Big Sister, looked down at Omega and Delta's Little Sisters. Her helmet shone a bright green.

"Now...I will do the same...starting with these two."

Eleanor placed her hands on the Little Sisters, both her hands glowing a pale pink, and the Little Sisters were cured. This severed the link, jerking Omega and Delta awake in their own bodies, back in Quarantine. They heard Eleanor's voice.

"We've done it! I'll be there soon..."

Outside the room, a Brute Splicer standing guard caught fire and roared in agony as he burnt to a crisp. Eleanor entered the room as a Big Sister.

"These suits always made me think of you...my heroes in shining armor. But now, I fight by your side."

She tore open their restraints, allowing them to get up.

Eleanor embraced Omega, who told her, "I'm glad you're on our side; you sound pissed."

"It's time for a jailbreak...Mother will _never_ control me again!" Eleanor vowed.

They reentered the Quarantine chamber, where they found Splicers waiting for them. Delta fired his shotgun at the Brute Splicer, while Omega and Eleanor hurled fire and lightning at the lesser Splicers. When the Splicers were dead, Sofia's voice rang throughout the room.

"Subjects Delta and Omega...you have stolen my life's work, and with it, my only daughter."

"I'm here, too, Mother!" yelled Eleanor. "They never stole me away! You pushed me away when you sought to steal my humanity! My freedom! If I were truly your daughter rather than your experiment, you would have treated as such!"

"Eleanor...Rapture is a house of monsters" replied Sofia. "The surface will not have us, so we shall be buried as a family...side by side."

Understanding and fear gripped both Eleanor and Omega.

"Oh, God...she's going to..." said Eleanor.

"Even she wouldn't go that far..." said Omega.

_What is it?_ asked Delta.

"This facility lies above an underwater trench...it's hundreds of miles deep" explained Eleanor. "She's going to drop us all down the trench, taking us with her!"

"The only way to stop her is to go through the deepest part of Persephone" added Omega.

The trio rushed to the bulkhead as the room began to shake, and quickly opened the door, entering the inner section of Persephone.


	13. Chapter 10: Escaping Utopia

Chapter 10: Escaping Utopia

When Delta and Omega entered the Docking Platform, they saw Eleanor waiting for them behind the glass. She teleported the Little Sisters to her side. They all began to glow with a golded light. Eleanor and her sisters descended down below the water to the submarine.

"Be careful, Eleanor" cautioned Omega, hoping she knew what she was doing.

"You would rip my only daughter from her home and family, and feed her to a world without hope!" asked Sofia. "Utopia may die with her, but I would sooner see us fall! Goodbye, Eleanor...Mother will be waiting for you."

The door slammed shut, obscuring Delta and Omega's view.

"Eleanor!" yelled Omega. "Are you still there!"

"I'm still here! I'm alright! Mother's sending Splicers to stop me! You two need to hold them off!"

Delta and Omega looked at each other, nodding. They turned around and prepared their weapons.

"They're not getting through here!" yelled Omega.

_I'll die before I let Eleanor die!_ added Delta.

An Alpha-series stormed up, and was met with a grenade. A Splicer threw a grenade, and it was thrown back. another Alpha Series ran up, firing its shotgun, and was met with Delta's. Leadhead Splicers fired on the pair.

"Its boiling!" announced Eleanor, teleporting next to them, and joining the fray.

The battle was chaotic. Splicers fired their weapons, only to be fired to a crisp. Games of catch were played with the grenades thrown by Splicers. Houdini Splicers received Winter Blasts and were then shattered to pieces. Brute Splicers were met with shotgun shells, electricity, and flames. Delta fired his machine gun at every Splicer that entered. Omega alternated between blasts of electricity and fire. Eleanor flung flames, electricity, and projectiles picked up with Telekinesis.

"Release the docking mechanism!" yelled Eleanor.

They quickly fought their way up to the second floor. Omega flipped the switch...and the room flooded.

"We have to equalize the pressure!" yelled Eleanor.

"Those glass tubes!" yelled Omega, pointing upward.

Delta and Omega destroyed the glass tubes hanging above, flooding the room entirely.

"Let's get to the elevator" said Eleanor.

The flood had killed off any of the remaining Splicers, so they were met with no resistance as they worked their way to the Docking Elevator.

"RUN!" yelled Eleanor.

They ran as fast as they could down the tunnel...only to see bombs planted in front of them. Delta ran in front of Omega and Eleanor as the bombs began to ring.

"Father!" cried Eleanor.

The bombs exploded, collapsing the tunnel, and the blast hit Delta full-force.

The next thing Delta knew, he was lying on the roof of the submarine with Omega standing over him. Hearing Eleanor's voice in their minds, they looked up at the sub's control room.

_And then, the Rapture dream was over. You both taught me that 'evil' is just a word. Under the skin, it's simple pain. For you, mercy was victory. You sacrificed, you endured, and when given the chance, you forgave. Always. _

Inside the control room, Omega and Delta could see Sofia Lamb desperately gasping for air. Eleanor swam up and handed her a breathing respirator. 

_Mother believed this world was irredeemable, but she was wrong. We are Utopia, and in forgiving, we left the door open for her._"

The submarine rose to the surface, breaking the barrier between land and sea.

Eleanor removed her helmet, and sent her mother away in a lifeboat...alone. As her mother drifted away, Eleanor looked at her with pity...and a very small amount of hope. Eleanor then looked down at Delta's broken body. Jason also removed his helmet, standing next to her.

_The Rapture dream is over, but in waking, I am reborn. This world is not ready for me, yet here I am. It would be so easy to misjudge them. _

Eleanor looked at Omega, then at Delta.

_You have both served as my conscience. Yet as your life fades away, Father, I still need you to guide me. _

Eleanor stuck her needle into Delta's body, removing his essence and securing it in her gathering needle as the last of Delta's life faded away.

_You will always be with me now Father...your memories, your drives. And when I need you, you'll be there on my shoulder whispering. _

Eleanor removed her gauntlets, placing them on the submarine's roof. She gazed downwards, into the sea, looking at her reflection, Jason's, and those of the Little Sisters. She then looked up at the sunrise, and smiled. She looked over at Jason._  
_

"We're free" she said.

"Yes...we are" he replied.

They embraced, Jason holding her tight. At that moment, being held by the man she loved, Eleanor finally knew what love truly felt like...and it was more beautiful than anything she could have ever known.

As they came apart, Eleanor, Jason, and the little girls looked towards the sunrise, and a bright

future.

_If Utopia is not a place, but a people, then we must choose carefully, for the world is about to change, and in our story, Rapture was just the beginning."_

THE END


End file.
